The story in Auckland on Day 1: The players you expected to win won, but not without making a not so great statement.
Let's start with Nikki. She won! But I cannot tell you how ridiculously infuriating this match was. Neither player was able to close out sets and in the third, Nikki went up 4-0 before letting Alla back into the match. Nikki would eventually take the third, 7-5. But her lack of game plan and Plan B was evident throughout the match. The girl simply cannot construct a point to save her life. She is a true ball-basher, crushing the third or fourth ball for either a winner or an error. But she's through and hopefully the rust is starting to fade.
What. The Eff. Is that shirt? No one can really tell you. Not even Aravene Rezai. Even she knew the thing was frickin' horrible, choosing to hide under towels during the changeover:
Not withstanding that fantastic fashion faux-pas (an homage to Twilight maybe?) she came through her match in three sets.
Here are your scores:
5) Shahar Peer (ISR) d. Petra Cetkovska (CZE) 76(4) 62
(6) Nicole Vaidisova (CZE) d. Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) 76(3) 46 75
Jill Craybas (USA) d. (WC) Kimiko Date Krumm (JPN) 64 63
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) d. Virginie Razzano (FRA) 16 62 63
Edina Gallovits (ROU) d. Klara Zakopalova (CZE) 36 62 75
Aravane Rezai (FRA) d. (WC) Eleni Daniilidou (GRE) 63 36 63
Here's the OOP for Day 2:
Centre Court - 11am start
Alberta Brianti(ITA) v Caroline Wozniacki(DEN)
Elena Dementieva(RUS) v Yung-Jan Chan(TPE)
Nuria Llagostera Vives(ESP) v Marina Erakovic(NZL)
Anne Keothavong(GBR) v Mirjana Lucic(CRO)
Not before 7:30pm
Kristina Barrois(GER) v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova(RUS)
Court 4 – 11am start
Carla Suarez Navarro(ESP) v Nathalie Dechy(FRA)
Ayumi Morita(JPN) v Marta Domachowska(POL)
Court 6 - 11am start
Elena Vesnina(RUS) v Aiko Nakamura(JPN)
