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WTA Carson Preview: No Williams Sisters Leave U.S. Hurting
Posted on August 6, 2007
Four of the Top 10 on the WTA Tour are off the couch this week at the Tier II East West Bank Classic in Carson, Calif., the lone tour event this week.
Maria Sharapova leads the Top 10 participants, joined by Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic and Nadia Petrova.
Conspicuously absent during this week are both Williams sisters, world No. 1 Justine Henin and former No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo.
Without the Williams sisters, American hopes of bringing home a title range somewhere between zero and some negative number. No Americans are among the 16 seeds, with unseeded Americans in the field comprised of (WC) Madison Brengle, Jill Craybas, (WC) Jamea Jackson, Vania King and Meghann Shaughnessy (who face each other first round), and Laura Granville.
Sharapova, if her dodgy shoulder holds up after her title-run effort in San Diego last week, should have little resistance to the semifinals where she would likely face either Petrova or No. 7 seed Martina Hingis. Petrova and Hingis both receive first-round byes, with Petrova facing the winner or Alicia Molik and a qualifier, and Hingis against the winner of the hot-handed Sania Mirza and a qualifier.
In the bottom half of the draw, Ivanovic and No. 6 seed Marion Bartoli are the favorites to battle for one semifinal spot, and Jankovic and No. 8-seeded Russian Dinara Safin the favorites in the bottom quarter.
Bartoli after a bye will open against a Russian in either Maria Kirilenko or Elena Bovina. Ivanovic will be a favorite to go deep if she can get by a tricky potential meeting with No. 16 seed Lucie Safarova in the quarters.
In last year's final the No. 3-seeded Elena Dementieva (the No. 9 seed this year) outlasted the No. 16-seeded Jankovic 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
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