Chinese qualifier ZHANG Shuai came into the 2016 Australian Open with the worst record of any player in the top 300 player, 0-14. None of that mattered in Melbourne as she jumped all over world #2 Simona Halep in the first round, sprinting out to a 4-0 first set lead and holding on for a … Continue reading
Tagged with First Round …
Madison Keys, Garbine Muguruza Get Off To Strong Starts At 2016 Australian Open
I was very excited for day two of the 2016 Australian Open, as probably my three favorite players, Madison Keys, Garbine Muguruza and Simona Halep, would be in action. Up first were Maddie and Mugu. If Garbine was feeling the ill effects of her foot injury, it didn’t stop her from laying down an emphatic … Continue reading
Maria Sharapova, Eugenie Bouchard Advance On Day 1 Of Australian Open; Caroline Wozniacki Upset
Maria Sharapova and Eugenie Bouchard are certainly two of the biggest names in women’s tennis. However, I don’t know how many people are picking either to go deep at the 2016 Australian Open. Serena Williams is the obvious choice to win it all and Victoria Azarenka is the fashionable choice as an alternate pick. But … Continue reading
Petra Kvitova Opens 2016 Season With Australian Open First Round Victory; Sloane Stephens Upset Down Under
It was great to see Petra Kvitova start her season with a win in the first round of the 2016 Australian Open, beating Thailand’s Luksika Kumkhum, 6-3 6-1. The 2-time Wimbledon champion from the Czech Republic is very unpredictable. If she loses her next match or wins the tournament, few hardcore tennis aficionados would be … Continue reading
Ana Ivanovic Wins In First Round Of 2013 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships; Sloane Stephens, Laura Robson Upset
Ana Ivanovic opened her 2013 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with a 6-3 7-6 (5) victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Ana was cruising up 6-3 4-0 when the wheels almost came off. Pavlyuchenkova battled from 0-4 down in the 2nd set to force a tiebreak. As a longtime Ivanovic fan, I have unfortunately seen her steal … Continue reading
Ai Miyazato Leads By 1 After First Round Of 2012 Honda LPGA Thailand
Although the LPGA season started at last week’s co-sponsored Women’s Australian Open, it really feels like the season is underway with the 2012 Honda LPGA Thailand event. On day one, it was 2010 champion Ai Miyazato who stayed cool in the sweltering heat to shoot a clean 5-birdie no bogeys 67 to break out of … Continue reading
Kim Clijsters Rolls In First Round Of 2012 Brisbane International; Daniela Hantuchova Upsets 8th Seed Dominika Cibulkova
Former world #1 Kim Clijsters took the first step back in yet another comeback with a convincing 6-1 6-4 victory over 47th ranked Simona Halep in the first round of the 2012 Brisbane International. Breaking Halep 4 times, including a critical break after Halep broke Kim to even the 2nd set 4-4, 4-time Major winner … Continue reading
Three Way Tie Atop Leaderboard After 1st Round Of 2011 Mizuno Classic
Ah-Rheum Hwang, Teresa Lu and Akane Iijima lead at 6-under after the first round of the 2011 Mizuno Classic. Beside Chie Arimura and Sakura Yokomine, for whom I always root, I would like to see Mina Harigae, currently tied for 5th, finish well…maybe even win. Mina is an American of Japanese heritage. Her parents, both … Continue reading
Jennifer Johnson Leads Navistar LPGA Classic After 1st Round, But Guess Who’s Lurking (Hint: She’s Ranked #1)
When it was announced that LPGA tookie Jennifer Johnson would donate half of her winnings from the 2011 Navistar Classic to the Wounded Warrior Project, I thought it was a great gesture but I wasn’t certain how well she would play. With 3 missed cuts in her last 4 events prior to Navistar, I had … Continue reading
In-Kyung Kim Fires First Round 63, Leads 2011 Honda LPGA Thailand After Round 1
South Korea’s In-Kyung Kim blasted out of the gates during the first round of the 2011 LPGA Tour season, knocking down 9 birdies against no bogeys on her way to an opening round 9-under par 63 and a 3 shot lead at the 2011 Honda LPGA Thailand. But beware In-Kyung, the red hot Yani Tseng … Continue reading
Fairways and Forehands 