2007 Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells Preview
Posted by Aaress Lawless on Mar 6, 2007 | Print
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Traditionally Indian Wells has a reputation of being one of the finest tennis tournaments apart from the Grand Slams, but the women’s draw this year is barely stronger than last month’s Tier II events in Dubai and Doha.
That was not meant as a hit against the Dubai Duty Free Women’s Open or the Qatar Total Open, but we have rightfully come to expect bigger and better things from one of the greatest tennis events in the world.
Three of the top five women decided to forgo making the trek to California and if Svetlana Kuznetsova had not entered at the last minute, top seed Maria Sharapova would have been the only player in the top five planning on competing.
Despite the lack of star power, Indian Wells did attract all of the players ranked 5-10 for a combined field of ninety-six singles players and thirty-six doubles teams.
Top Eight Seeds
1. Maria Sharapova
2. Svetlana Kuznetsova
3. Martina Hingis
4. Nadia Petrova
5. Elena Dementieva
6. Nicole Vaidisova
7. Jelena Jankovic
8. Anna Chakvetadze
A Quick Look at the Pacific Life Open Ladies Draw
Top Quarter
Defending champion Maria Sharapova is not going to underestimate her opponents, but she should be feeling somewhat at ease as all of the players that could threaten her for the title are noticeably absent, especially Henin and the Williams sisters. She has had some trouble with her serve since the Australian Open, but a few weeks of doing service drills with Yuri hopefully fixed her toss. Her draw looks fairly straight-forward through to the quarterfinals against Jelena Jankovic, but I would not count out the chances of Vera Zvonareva causing the top seed some trouble in the round of sixteen.
Justine Henin may have skipped the tournament, but she could be the biggest mover and shaker of the month when it comes to the rankings. If Maria fails to reach the semifinals, Justine will automatically recapture the number one ranking.
Second Quarter
Next to Radek Stepanek, weak fields are Martina Hingis’ best friend. She already has two Tier I titles to her credit since her comeback and with Mauresmo, Henin, Clijsters, and the Williams sisters out, she may be able to grab her third if Sharapova fails to reach the semifinals. Daniela Hantuchova could be a tricky opponent for the Swiss Miss in the round of sixteen, especially after losing to her at Doha last week, but Martina rarely loses to the same player twice in a row. Hingis’ serve will be crucial to her success on hard-courts, but Hantuchova is not capable of producing the power that has troubled her so often since returning to the game.
Other players to watch in the second quarter include Anna Chakvetadze, Shahar Peer, and AO wonder-girl Lucie Safarova.
Third Quarter
Nadia Petrova inherited the best-player-to-never-win-a-Grand-Slam distinction from Amelie Mauresmo last season and her best chance to get rid of it may be in just two months at Roland Garros. Petrova has a game worthy of a major contender and a solid showing at Indian Wells and Miami may just be the boost she needs heading into the clay court season. Her road to the quarterfinals is not easy with Samantha Stosur or Tatiana Golovin slated for a round of sixteen meeting. She has never lost to Stosur, but Golovin has given her a lot of trouble in recent years and holds a comfortable 3-1 record over her head.
Elena Dementieva is seeded at the top of the third quarter, but she is coming off of a rib injury which may hamper her already flaky serve.
Bottom Quarter
Svetlana Kuznetsova had a shaky start to 2007, but she bravely reached the final at Doha last week before getting crushed by Justine Henin. She has a great draw as the second seed - unlike sixth seed Nicole Vaidisova - and should easily set up a quarterfinal match against whoever emerges as the winner out of the top part of the quarter. Nicole Vaidisova is the highest ranked player, but she could be in for a battle against Marion Bartoli or Dinara Safina.
Pacific Life Open Tournament Information Online
Official Website
Main Draw
USA TV Schedule
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