Kim Clijsters
After only two rounds at the Medibank International Sydney, the top seeds have been decimated. #1 Caroline Wozniacki is gone. #2 Vera Zvonareva is gone. #4 Samantha Stosur is gone. While the other top seeds fell around her, #3 seeded Kim Clijsters was too much for qualifier Barbara Zahlavova Strycova, winning 6-1 6-4. Besides Caroline Wozniacki’s fall, the shock of the day had to be doubles star Flavia Pennetta taking out #2 seed Vera Zvonareva. Vera had looked so good in recent matches against Wozniacki and Venus Williams. Her 7-5 7-5 loss to Pennetta might just be a bump in the road. But considering how Wozniacki lost to Cibulkova, maybe those wins last week at the Hong Kong Classic by Vera need to be reexamined.
Samantha Stosur
As for Stosur’s loss to Kuznetsova in three sets, that is a little more understandable. Although coming off a loss at Brisbane to Jarmila Groth, I don’t have the same concerns for Stosur as I do for Wozniacki. Kuznetsova is a tough opponent this early in a tournament. That’s a match I would have said going in could go either way. Kim Clijsters played a qualifier in the second round while Stosur played a future Hall of Famer who still has a lot of game left. Big difference. So while Stosur cannot be happy with these losses at Brisbane and Sydney, I think she will be ready for Melbourne.
Singles – Second Round
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) d. (1) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 63 63
Flavia Pennetta (ITA) d. (2) Vera Zvonareva (RUS) 75 75
(3) Kim Clijsters (BEL) d. (Q) Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) 61 64
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) d. (4) Samantha Stosur (AUS) 36 63 64
(7) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) d. Shahar Peer (ISR) 75 63
(8) Li Na (CHN) d. (Q) Virginie Razzano (FRA) 64 16 64
Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) d. María José Martínez Sánchez (ESP) 62 64
Kim Clijsters
Victoria Azarenka
Samantha Stosur
Svetlana Kuznetsova
Li Na
Flavia Pennetta
Vera Zvonareva
