Well, Nicole Vaidisova found some way to lose to clay court specialist Rossana de Los Rios, who, Ana fans will recall, Ana demolished in the first round last year. But more interesting than Nikki's loss are these tidbits from Kamakshi's Wimbly Live Blog:
Vaidisova lost in three sets to Rossana de Los Rios, who prefers clay and is one of the rare moms on the circuit.
Vaidisova was in the interview room for more than 15 minutes, but the Czechs said they couldn't get anything substantive from Vaidisova on her slump. Everyone is mystified by the talented 20-year-old's swoon during the past couple of seasons -- her only notable result has been the quarterfinals here last year.
I went out to Court 11 in the middle of the third set, and the match came down largely to whether Vaidisova was hitting her serves and forehands in.
She hit some beautiful forehands to save match points down 5-4 in the third set but missed two in a row to finally give De Los Rios the match. Clearly, she's struggling with rhythm and confidence, but the shots are still there.
Vaidisova will drop to about No. 130 in the rankings, which means she'll have to contend in wild cards and qualifying very soon.
Nikki in qualifying? Doesn't that presume that she even plays non-Slam tournaments anymore? When's the last time any of us even saw her on a drawsheet?
Thanks to Mrs. Saifn for the link.
