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US OPEN (Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, Decoturf, Grand Slam)
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This is an excerpt from my analysis of the whole draw (which
includes round-by-round wishes):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jeldani/message/2717

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First-round draw
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Daniela Hantuchová's quarter
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* KIM CLIJSTERS [4] v Martina Müller [Q]
* Ashley Harkleroad [WC] v Fabiola Zuluaga
* Michaela Paštiková v Rita Grande
* Alyona Bondarenko v AI SUGIYAMA [30] (davai Alyona!)

* ANA IVANOVIC [18] v Lindsay Lee-Waters (ajde Ana!)
* Sanda Mamic v Maria Vento-Kabchi
* Marta Domachowska v Shahar Peer (dawaj Marta!)
* Tiffany Dabek [Q] v VERA DOUCHEVINA [33]

* VENUS WILLIAMS [10] v Rika Fujiwara
* Laura Pous Tio v Maria Kirilenko (davai Maria!)
* María Emilia Salerni [Q] v Jessica Kirkland [WC] (¡vamos María!)
* Camille Pin v DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ [20] (pod'me Daniela!)

* FRANCESCA SCHIAVONE [25] v Jelena Kostanic
* Peng,Shuai v Emma Laine [Q] (jia you Shuai!)
* Alina Jidkova v Catalina Castaño (davai Alina!)
* Chan,Yung-Jan [Q] v SERENA WILLIAMS [8]


FIRST ROUND: Daniela also played Pin in 1r US Open 2004, winning 1-6
7-6 (7/5) 7-6 (11/9)! But Daniela is now close to her best, with
recent victories over Elena Dementieva and her US Open 2004
conqueror Patty Schnyder. Whereas Pin is ranked #105, and has been
interleaving the WTA Tour with the ITF Women's Circuit this year,
finishing runner-up at ITF Bronx last week (Daniela won the title
there in 2000). I expect a much more straightforward victory for
Daniela this time... but you never know with Daniela!


SECOND ROUND: Jessica Kirkland has been struggling to make an impact
on the ITF Women's Circuit this year, let alone the WTA Tour (apart
from an aberrational run to the fourth round of Indian Wells). So
the real question is who the qualifier will be - who can win four
matches in a row to get to a second round against Daniela? The
answer is María Emilia Salerni, who won the Girls' Singles at
Wimbledon 2000, and has even nicer legs than Daniela. ;-)


THIRD ROUND: The seedings decree a repeat of Daniela's Wimbledon 3r
against Venus Williams, and their head-to-heads would suggest
Daniela losing in the third round for the sixth Grand Slam in a row.
But Williams hasn't played since losing the Stanford final to Kim
Clijsters last month, because she's had 'flu - I'm not sure what
impact that will have on her ability to reach the third round, but
I'm reminded of the Australian and French Opens, where Elena
Dementieva and Kim Clijsters both nearly withdrew before the
tournament, and both beat Daniela in the third round! :-|| The
Williams sisters often save themselves for the Grand Slams, and they
do this more effectively than any other player.

I would, of course, prefer a mouthwatering Daniela v Maria Kirilenko
third round, and I pray that Little Maria's left knee will be better
by the time the Open starts. But it's difficult to envisage Little
Maria upsetting Venus Williams - or a 34th-seeded Peng,Shuai if
Williams withdraws.

What I'd really like, of course, would be a Daniela v Maria
Sharapova semi-final, but Daniela might have to beat Venus Williams,
Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters back-to-back, and her head-to-
heads against them are 0-7, 0-3 and 0-7 respectively! :-o

--
Dr. Andrew Broad
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/hantu/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/danielahantuchova/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jeldani/