A Quick Look at the US Open Ladies Tennis Draw

The draw for next week’s US Open has been announced and posted on the official US Open website. Most of the top players should secure easy opening round wins, but Patty Schnyder, Martina Hingis, and Francesca Schiavone are facing tough competitors in their first round of matches at Flushing Meadows. Be sure to come back to On the Baseline in the next couple of days for a preview of the final Grand Slam of the 2006 season and a look at the favorites for the title.

Top Seeds

(1) Amelie Mauresmo
Best Finish: Semifinal (2002)
Last Year’s Results: Quarterfinal (Lost to Mary Pierce)
First Round: Qualifier
Could Face: (16) Ana Ivanovic or Serena Williams in the fourth round, and (8) Martina Hingis in the quarterfinals

(2) Justine Henin-Hardenne
Best Finish: Champion (2003)
Last Year’s Results: Fourth Round (Lost to Mary Pierce)
First Round: Maria Elena Camerin
Could Face: (14) Francesca Schiavone or (21) Shahar Peer in the fourth round, and (7) Patty Schnyder or (10) Lindsay Davenport in the quarterfinals

(3) Maria Sharapova
Best Finish: Semifinal (2005)
Last Year’s Results: Semifinal (Lost to Kim Clijsters)
First Round: Michaella Krajicek
Could Face: (13) Mary Pierce in the fourth round, and (5) Nadia Petrova in the quarterfinals

(4) Elena Dementieva
Best Finish: Final (2004)
Last Year’s Results: Semifinal (Lost to Mary Pierce)
First Round: Laura Granville
Could Face: (30) Venus Williams in the third round, (15) Anna-Lena Groenefeld in the round of sixteen, and (6) Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals

(5) Nadia Petrova
Best Finish: Quarterfinal (2004, 2005)
Last Year’s Results: Quarterfinal (Lost to Mary Pierce)
First Round: Qualifier
Could Face: (11) Anastasia Myskina in the fourth round, and (3) Maria Sharapova or (13) Mary Pierce in the quarterfinals

(6) Svetlana Kuznetsova
Best Finish: Champion (2004)
Last Year’s Results: First Round (Lost to Ekaterina Bychkova)
First Round: Qualifier
Could Face: (29) Jie Zheng in the third round, (9) Nicole Vaidisova in the fourth round, and (4) Elena Dementieva in the quarterfinals

(7) Patty Schnyder
Best Finish: Quarterfinal (1998)
Last Year’s Results: Fourth Round (Lost to Elena Dementieva)
First Round: Anna Smashnova
Could Face: (10) Lindsay Davenport in the fourth round, and (2) Justine Henin-Hardenne in the quarterfinals

(8) Martina Hingis
Best Finish: Champion (1997)
Last Year’s Results: Did Not Play
First Round: Shuai Peng
Could Face: Vera Zvonareva in the third round, (12) Dinara Safina in the fourth round, and (1) Amelie Mauresmo in the quarterfinals

(9) Nicole Vaidisova
Best Finish: Fourth Round (2005)
Last Year’s Results: Fourth Round (Lost to Nadia Petrova)
First Round: Chanda Rubin
Could Face: (19) Jelena Jankovic in the third round, (6) Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round, and (4) Elena Dementieva in the quarterfinals

(10) Lindsay Davenport
Best Finish: Champion (1998)
Last Year’s Results: Quarterfinal (Lost to Elena Dementieva)
First Round: Klara Zakopalova
Could Face: (7) Patty Schnyder in the fourth round, (2) Justine Henin-Hardenne in the quarterfinals

(11) Anastasia Myskina
Best Finish: Quarterfinal (2003)
Last Year’s Results: Third Round (Lost to Elena Likhovtseva)
First Round: Victoria Azarenka
Could Face: Jamea Jackson in the second round, (23) Anna Chakvetadze in the third round, (5) Nadia Petrova in the fourth round, (3) Maria Sharapova in the quarterfinals

(12) Dinara Safina
Best Finish: Fourth Round (2003)
Last Year’s Results: First Round (Lost to Maria Elena Camerin)
First Round: Qualifier
Could Face: (18) Flavia Pennetta in the third round, (8) Martina Hingis in the fourth round, and (1) Amelie Mauresmo in the quarterfinals

(13) Mary Pierce
Best Finish: Final (2005)
Last Year’s Results: Final (Lost to Kim Clijsters)
First Round: Elena Vesnina
Could Face: (24) Na Li in the third round, (3) Maria Sharapova in the fourth round, and (5) Nadia Petrova in the quarterfinals

(14) Francesca Schiavone
Best Finish: Quarterfinal (2003)
Last Year’s Results: Third Round (Lost to Serena Williams)
First Round: Romina Oprandi
Could Face: Sania Mirza in the second round, (21) Shahar Peer in the third round, (2) Justine Henin-Hardenne in the fourth round, and (7) Patty Schnyder or (10) Lindsay Davenport in the quarterfinals

(15) Anna-Lena Groenefeld
Best Finish: Third Round (2005)
Last Year’s Results: Third Round (Lost to Amelie Mauresmo)
First Round: Aravane Rezai
Could Face: (4) Elena Dementieva in the fourth round, and (6) Svetlana Kuznetsova or (9) Nicole Vaidisova in the quarterfinals

Other Players of Interest

(30) Venus Williams
Best Finish: Champion (2000, 2001)
Last Year’s Results: Quarterfinal (Lost to Kim Clijsters)
First Round: Marta Domachowska
Could Face: (4) Elena Dementieva in the third round, and (6) Svetlana Kuznetsova or (9) Nicole Vaidisova in the quarterfinals

Serena Williams
Best Finish: Champion (1999, 2002)
Last Year’s Results: Fourth Round (Lost to Venus Williams)
First Round: Lourdes Dominguez Lino
Could Face: (17) Daniela Hantuchova in the second round, (16) Ana Ivanovic in the third round, (1) Amelie Mauresmo in the fourth round, and (8) Martina Hingis in the quarterfinals

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