Gold Coast tournament

The stars are coming to the Gold Coast

Eight of the world's top 20 players, headlined by world No.12 Nicole Vaidisova, have entered the Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts, tournament organisers announced today.
The US$175,000 tournament will be held at Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast from Sunday, December 30, 2007 to Saturday, January 5, 2008.

Vaidisova began the year by reaching the semifinals of the Medibank International in Sydney and the Australian Open, where she lost to eventual champion Serena Williams. During the rest of her season, the 18 year old advanced to the last eight at the French Open and Wimbledon, broke into the world's top 10, defeated three top 10 players and finished off the year strongly with successive semifinal appearances at Zurich and Linz.

Russia's Nadia Petrova (14) was a finalist at the Gold Coast in 2004. A winner of seven Sony Ericsson WTA Tour titles, she had an extremely consistent year in 2007, reaching the quarterfinals or better in 10 events and winning the Paris Indoors.

This year's winner, Dinara Safina (15), will be back to mount her title defence. The Russian has been very successful at the Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts in the past. She reached the semifinals in 2006, going down to eventual winner Lucie Safarova, and took out back-to-back doubles titles in 2006 and 2007.

Another of the tournament's former champions, Swiss Patty Schnyder (16), will be a major title contender. Schnyder amassed a number of impressive wins over top players this year, defeating Serena Williams at Berlin, Anna Chakvetadze at Linz and Nadia Petrova at San Diego. She also pushed the world's top two players - Justine Henin and Maria Sharapova - to three sets during the year.

Two-time Grand Slam champion and former world No.1 Amelie Mauresmo (18 ) joins Vaidisova as a first time entrant at the Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts. The Frenchwoman won Antwerp and reached three more WTA Tour finals in 2007, in addition to making the round of 16 at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

Eighteen-year-old Agnes Szavay (19) of Hungary was undoubtedly one of the most rapidly improving players on the WTA Tour in 2007. She shot up the rankings, beginning the year at 189 in the world and finishing it ranked inside the top 20.
As a wildcard entrant, Szavay achieved a major career breakthrough by reaching the semifinals of Budapest in April. The second half of her year was extremely successful - she won her maiden WTA title at Palermo in July, then reached the final of New Haven, the quarterfinals of the US Open, won her second title in Beijing, and made the last eight at Seoul.

Rounding out the top 20 players among the field are Israeli Shahar Peer (17) and Pattaya City winner Sybille Bammer (20).

With the Beijing Olympics less than a year away, China's Li Na (28 ) will be priming herself for a big 2008. She began 2007 in impressive style, reaching the quarterfinals or better five times in 13 pre-Wimbledon events, but spent the second half of the year on the sidelines with a rib stress fracture.

Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts tournament director Liz Smylie said she was thrilled with the strength of the player field for the 2008 event.

“We've announced today another terrific field, which is what we've come to expect from this tournament. This field has a mix of everything, eight top 20 players, three former Gold Coast champions, several players who are playing the tournament for the first time, and some rising stars with unlimited potential.

“A main draw cut off of 54 is extremely impressive and it's going to be very exciting to see who's going to start their 2008 season in the best possible way - in good form and with a title win,” she said.

Wildcard Playoff:
Providing Australia's up and coming players with an invaluable opportunity, the Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts will again hold a wildcard playoff off, with eight players invited to compete for a wildcard into the event.

New Year's Eve - Celebrate with the Stars:
Following the night session on Monday 1 January, the crowd has the opportunity to mingle with the Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts players and enjoy a spectacular 15 minute fireworks display to celebrate the New Year.

Kids' Day:
In line with Tennis Australia's aim of getting more people involved in the sport, the successful Kids' Day will be back. On Sunday 30 December, children aged 15 years and under will be able to catch first round main draw action for free when accompanied by a paying adult/concession ticket holder.

Tickets for the Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts are now on sale through Ticketmaster on 1300 136 122 or www.ticketmaster.com.au. Prices range from $26 to only $53 for finals day and options include season passes, two-day passes, group passes for 10 or more, and family ticket discounts.

The Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts is proudly supported by Mondial Assistance and the Queensland Government through Queensland Events.

I can hardly wait till I see Amélie again ... Allez Amélieeeeeeeeeeeeee

Me neither angeo and I'm sure a lot among us will agree!!
I really hope its going well for her, that she is healthy and in full condition........to kick butts again!!
Anyway it's just the beginning so...just go for it Amélie you can do it and take it easy, you'll get there!!

The draw:

http://www.tennis.com.au/pages/image.aspx?assetid=RDM39444.8966190857

Sorry... I did a new topic into Amelie section... Didn't notice this....

Thanks for the draw Francy!

grazie francy

Is there any chance to see Amélie on ES or ES 2?

angeo wrote:Is there any chance to see Amélie on ES or ES 2?

I don't think so

Gold Coast draw announced

Brisbane, AAP - Australian No.4 Casey Dellacqua may have received a wildcard for the Australian Women's Hardcourts on the Gold Coast but she was given no favours when the main draw was announced today.
The West Australian was drawn to face none other than top seed and world No.12 Nicole Vaidisova in the first round of the $205,000 WTA tournament starting at Royal Pines resort on Sunday.

World No.86 Dellacqua will be hoping home support counts for something against Vaidisova.
The 18 year old has forged a reputation as a future Grand Slam champion with wins in 2007 against three top-10 players - France's Amelie Mauresmo, Serbian Jelena Jankovic and Russian Elena Dementieva.

Former Wimbledon and Australian Open champion Mauresmo was today named sixth seed for the Gold Coast tournament and drawn against a qualifier.
Mauresmo's low seeding indicates the class field the likes of Dellacqua will confront at the Gold Coast tournament.

While no top 10 players have entered, eight women ranked between 11 and 20 will play the first WTA tournament of 2008.
"It's tough for the Australian girls, it's a different level," tournament director Liz Smylie said when asked who was Australia's best hope at the event.
"But that's one of the great things about these tournaments - it gives our girls a great opportunity to see how they match against some of the best in the world."
Just two other Australians are in the main draw so far - Slovakian-born Jarmila Gajdosova and the woman she beat in the wildcard play-off final, Sydney-sider Monique Adamczak.

Gajdosova was today drawn to meet defending champion Dinara Safina - seeded third - in the first round.
Eight Australians started the first round of qualifiers today - and only Victorian Christina Wheeler emerged victorious, beating Italy's Alberta Brianti 7-6 6-2.
Wheeler takes on Chinese Taipei's Yung-Jan Chan in the second round tomorrow.

Australia's three top ranked players will not be at the Gold Coast - Alicia Molik is at the Hopman Cup, Nicole Pratt opted for an Auckland tournament and Sam Stosur is recovering from viral meningitis.

While the top seed went to Vaidisova, Smylie believed Hungarian teenager Agnes Szavay loomed as a big threat not only at the Gold Coast but also the 2008 Grand Slams.
The 19 year old - seeded eighth today - was drawn to face Ukrainian Julia Vakulenko in the first round, the woman she downed in the US Open fourth round in September this year to become her country's first-ever quarterfinalist at the tournament.
2005 junior French Open champion Szavay started 2007 ranked 207th after being flattened by a virus but finished the year at No.20.
"She's had a phenomenal year, she is going to go on to great things," Smylie said.

It will be the last time the tournament is played on the Gold Coast.

In 2009 it will be combined with the Australian Men's Hardcourt tournament and moved to a new tennis centre being built in Brisbane.

Ame is not playing the first day, here's the schedule for Sunday

http://www.tennis.com.au/pages/image.aspx?assetid=RDM39443.8407796065

Doubles main draw...

http://www.tennis.com.au/pages/image.aspx?assetid=RDM39445.8023712269

yvonne wrote:

angeo wrote:Is there any chance to see Amélie on ES or ES 2?

I don't think so

agree on that one

Singles - First Round

(5) Shahar Peer (ISR) d. Julie Ditty (USA) 36 60 62
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) d. Ai Sugiyama (JPN) 62 63
Nathalie Dechy (FRA) d. Yan Zi (CHN) 62 62

Monday, December 31, 2007

Centre Court (from 10.30hrs)
1. Schnyder vs. Kleybanova
2. Garbin vs. Petrova
3. Szavay vs. Fedak
4. Gajdosova vs. Safina
5. Savchuk vs. Mauresmo (NB 18.30hrs) Monday 8:30am CET
6. Gajdosova/Stewart vs. Yan/Zheng

East Court 1 (from 10.30hrs)
1. Domínguez Lino vs. Schruff
2. Razzano vs. Cibulkova (tbc)
3. Shaughnessy vs. Schiavone
4. Adamczak vs. Vesnina
5. Kustova/Poutchek vs. Pennetta/Schiavone

East Court 2 (from 10.30hrs)
1. Nakamura vs. Malek
2. Li vs. Bammer
3. Bacsinszky vs. Pennetta
4. Kudryavtseva/Perebiynis vs. Azarenka/Peer

Thanks for the articles and the links.

Petrova lost against Garbin in 3 grueling sets - 5-7, 7-5, 6-3
At the rate Szavay vs Fedak match is going, Amelie will probably start
around 2-3 hours from now...

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Centre Court (from 10.00hrs)
1. Peer vs. Schruff
2. Pennetta vs. Safina
3. Schnyder vs. Schiavone
4. Dechy vs. Mauresmo
5. [Adamczak or Vesnina] vs. Li
6. Vaidisova vs. Malek (NB 18.30hrs)
7. Cibulkova vs. Garbin

Mauresmo into quarterfinals at Australian hardcourts

GOLD COAST, Australia - Former No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian women's hardcourt championships Wednesday with a 6-3, 6-4 win over French compatriot Nathalie Dechy.
Two-time Grand Slam-tournament winner Mauresmo, seeded No. 6 here, will meet Patty Schnyder of Switzerland in the next round. Schnyder beat Italian Francesca Schiavone 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 Wednesday.

Mauresmo, who dropped from No. 3 in the rankings to 18 during an injury-plagued 2007, said she felt sluggish.

"I felt I was a little bit tired and not able to really express what my game is," said Mauresmo, the 2006 Australian Open champion.

"It's good that I can go through these kind of matches because then you have the opportunity in the next one to change what wasn't right. I wasn't dictating the game the way I should have. I was fighting with myself the whole match."

In other matches, top-seeded Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic beat Tatjana Malek of Germany 6-4, 6-2. Third-seeded Dinara Safina of Russia beat Flavia Pennetta of Italy 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 and China's Li Na defeated Australian Monique Adamczak 6-3, 6-2.

Thursday, January 3, 2008
Centre Court (from 10.30hrs)

1. Peer vs. Safina
2. Azarenka vs. Cibulkova (NB 12.00hrs)
3. Vaidisova vs. Li
4. Azarenka/Peer vs. Yan/Zheng
5. Schnyder vs. Mauresmo (NB 18.30hrs)
6. Black/Huber vs. Pennetta/Schiavone

yvonne wrote:
5. Schnyder vs. Mauresmo (NB 18.30hrs)

*calculating....*.....*yawns*

babyb wrote:

yvonne wrote:
5. Schnyder vs. Mauresmo (NB 18.30hrs)

*calculating....*.....*yawns*

Another late night fr you
Hopefully I'll be waking up in time to catch match point again, hahaha

jgw wrote:

babyb wrote:

yvonne wrote:
5. Schnyder vs. Mauresmo (NB 18.30hrs)

*calculating....*.....*yawns*

Another late night fr you
Hopefully I'll be waking up in time to catch match point again, hahaha

While Amelie is practicing on the court , I'm practicing how to stay awake lol...I hope I can keep up like this till the AO is over

babyb wrote:

jgw wrote:

babyb wrote:

yvonne wrote:
5. Schnyder vs. Mauresmo (NB 18.30hrs)

*calculating....*.....*yawns*

Another late night fr you
Hopefully I'll be waking up in time to catch match point again, hahaha

While Amelie is practicing on the court , I'm practicing how to stay awake lol...I hope I can keep up like this till the AO is over

You should practice sleeping early and waking up early

Thanks for the articles and schedule ladies.

JOIE wrote:

babyb wrote:

jgw wrote:

babyb wrote:

yvonne wrote:
5. Schnyder vs. Mauresmo (NB 18.30hrs)

*calculating....*.....*yawns*

Another late night fr you
Hopefully I'll be waking up in time to catch match point again, hahaha

While Amelie is practicing on the court , I'm practicing how to stay awake lol...I hope I can keep up like this till the AO is over

You should practice sleeping early and waking up early

Thanks for the articles and schedule ladies.

lol, that told you bb

I wouldn't be able to do all the late nights and no sleep for a whole month........ .......I'm saving myself for AO.......I hope

"wanna send me to the rehab but I say NO NO NO!"