Nicole Vaidisova completed a poor preparation for Wimbledon with a first-round 6-2, 6-4 loss to Olga Govortsova of Belarus in the Eastbourne International Women’s Open on Tuesday.
Vaidisova has lost her opening match in six of her eight tournaments since going down to Serena Williams in the fourth round at the Australian Open, a run that includes a first-round loss at the French Open and a quarter-final exit at Birmingham last week.
The 19-year-old Czech player reached the quarter-finals at Eastbourne and Wimbledon last year after making the semi-finals at the Australian Open and quarter-finals at the French but has slumped from No. 7 to No. 18 in the rankings and changed coaches.
PHOTO: AFP
“It was disappointing,” Vaidisova said. “I had a pretty good week last week so I was expecting a little more than I did today. It wasn’t my day.”
“Everything I tried to do fell flat. My serve wasn’t working, which is a big part of my game, and she used her opportunities well,” she said.
“I switched my team and it’s a matter of getting used to them and working hard again. It doesn’t take two days to get used to a change so I have to be patient,” Vaidisova said.
Former top-ranked Lindsay Davenport, the 1999 Wimbledon champion and 2001 Eastbourne winner, withdrew from the singles draw with a knee problem before her first-round match. She expected to be OK for Wimbledon.
“I’m so bummed that I can’t play here, I’ve been working the hardest since I was pregnant. I’m so disappointed,” she said.
Davenport, who returned to tennis last autumn after nine months away to give birth, has won four titles since her comeback.
Eighth-seeded Nadia Petrova overcame 13 double faults to be first into the quarter-finals when she beat Li Na of China 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3.
In other results, Russia’s Alisa Kleybanova beat Britain’s Melanie South 6-4, 6-4 and Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark set up a second-round meeting with top-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova.
Sybille Bammer of Austria edged Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia 7-6 (9), 1-6, 7-5 to set up a clash with second-seeded Marion Bartoli.
France’s Virginie Razzano beat Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi 6-3, 6-4 and Ekaterina Makarova crushed Vera Dushevina 6-3, 6-0 in an all-Russian opener.
Taiwan’s top women’s badminton doubles duo, Hsieh Pei-shan (謝沛珊) and Hung En-tzu (洪恩慈), achieved a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Kaho Osawa and Mayui Tanabe at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 Macau Open on Sunday. The Taiwanese pair won the final 21-18, 21-12, marking the duo’s second title this year after their win at the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open in May. The match on Sunday was their first encounter with the Japanese duo, ranked No. 63 in the world. Hsieh and Hung, ranked No. 12, began the opening game well. Hung, who plays left-handed, performed strongly at both the net and the
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Jobe Bellingham on Tuesday admitted to having “anxieties” on following in brother Jude’s footsteps after joining Borussia Dortmund in the summer. Jobe Bellingham, 19, is two years younger than Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid in 2023 after three years at Dortmund. A centerpiece of the England national team, Jude Bellingham has emerged as one of the best players in the world in recent seasons. The younger Jobe Bellingham joined Dortmund in June from Sunderland after their promotion to the English Premier League. He admitted he understood what the perception would be ahead of the move to Germany. “It’s something you do think about.
Before Tuesday’s 7-2 win at the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy suggested “most people couldn’t tell you five players on our team.” A look at the standings would indicate more Brewers players soon will be recognized by more fans. After all, it is difficult to overlook a team that not only continues to extend their lead in the National League Central, but also boasts the best record in the majors. “What we’re doing in here right now is special,” right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta said after allowing only four hits and one run in five innings, while setting a career high with
RSS