Thursday, September 25, 2008

Beijing quarterfinals set

I wish that I could watch the China Open quarterfinals; I think they are going to be interesting. Here is the line-up:

Jankovic vs. Hantuchova: Top seed and 2007 finalist Jelena Jankovic plays a struggling Daniela Hantuchova. In better times, this would be a more competitive match, but Hantuchova just has not done very well since she returned from a long layoff caused by a foot problem. All the same, she has made it to the quarterfinals, so one never knows.

Zvonareva vs. Medina Garrigues: Vera Zvonareva has had a good season, with some slips here and there. She is certainly favored to win this match (she has already taken out Li and Schiavone), but the relentless Medina Garrigues should never be counted out. She has already defeated the defending champion, Agnes Szavay.

Cibulkova vs. Kuznetsova: Giant-killer Cibulkova beat Amelie Mauresmo and Anna Chakvetadze to get to the quarterfinals. And while it is true that Mauresmo and Chakvetadze are both having terrible seasons, they are nevertheless good players. Cibulkova is likely to be stopped by Kuznetsova, though, who does quite well until she gets to semifinals and finals.

Zheng vs. Ivanovic: This should be good. Zheng Jie is the last Chinese survivor in the China Open, and she is one tough player. Ivanovic has had a hard time of it since the French Open, especially after injuring her thumb. She will have to be extra-sharp to get past Zheng.

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