Tuesday, October 29, 2013

I want whatever Simona's having

"I hit the balls, my movement was good," Simona Halep, with a big smile, said today about her straight set victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in Sofia. Halep's confidence and her lack of false modesty please me very much. This was the fourth time that she has played Pavlyuychenkova, and the fourth time that she has beaten her. In fact, in all their meetings, the Russian has won only one set (in this year's Tokyo match, from which she had to retire).

For the second year in a row, Maria Kirilenko had to withdraw from the Tournament of Champions. A left knee injury took her out of competition, and her retirement gave a win to Alize Cornet. Kirilenko will be replaced in Group Serdika by first alternate Elina Svitolina.

In today's remaining match, wild card Ana Ivanovic defeated wild card Tsvetana Pironkova 6-0, 6-2. Ivanovic has won the tournament twice.

Meanwhile, in the Nanjing Ladies Open, top seed Kimiko Date-Krumm was upset in the first round by Duan Ying-Ying.

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