(1) Venus Williams vs. Nuria Llagostera Vives
Greta Arn(Q) vs. Edina Gallovits
Agnes Szavay(LL) def. (WC) Anna Orlik 7-5 7-5
Roberta Vinci def. (6) Lucie Safarova 6-4 6-4
(3) Carla Suarez Navarro vs. Viktoriya Kutuzova
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova def. Andreja Klepac 2-6 6-1 6-4
Maret Ani vs. Patricia Mayr
Ioana Raluca Olaru(Q) vs. (5) Gisela Dulko
(7)Tathiana Garbin vs. Jill Craybas
Mathilde Johansson(WC) def. Rossana De Los Rios 6-4 6-1
Klara Zakopalova def. Emilie Loit 4-6 6-4 7-5
(4) Iveta Benesova def. Olga Savchuk
(8)Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez vs. Arantxa Parra Santonja
Petra Cetkovska def. Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-2 6-2
Pauline Parmentier def. (WC) Melissa Torres Sandoval 6-2 6-3
Mariya Koryttseva vs. (2) Flavia Pennetta
* (Q) = Qualifier
* (LL) = Lucky Loser
Key Points about the draw:
This would be just another lower tier clay court event if Venus Williams wasn't in the draw. It will be interesting to see how Venus transitions from a mid-paced hard court in Dubai, to a clay court almost on the other side of the world, having just a two day break. Her first round will be telling against something of a clay court specialist in Llagostera Vives. If she wins the match, I predict she will win the whole event.
Flavia Pennetta is the defending champion in Acapulco. She has had a stuttering start to the year so far. She lost handily to Medina Garrigues(ESP) in the 3rd round of the Australian Open, and despite beating both Mauresmo and Cornet in the Italy v France Fed Cup tie, she suffered a shock defeat in Bogota last week to little known Masa Zec Peskiric. Her form is too scratchy right now to back her to win the event. Winning the last three out of four matches played against Venus means that she is Williams' biggest threat.
Carla Suarez Navarro, who beat Venus in Australia this year and ended up reaching the quarter-finals, seems back to her "normal" level. It was the same story last year. Makes the quarter-finals at the French Open, seemingly out of nowhere, then for the rest of the year, does absolutely nothing of significance. Suarez Navarro playing aggressive, accurate, heavy topspin, flairsome tennis is the exception, rather than the rule.
6th seeded Safarova lost yesterday to Vinci. This opens up Venus' draw even more.
Kutuzova has no qualified for her second tournament in succession. Is she finally living up to some of her potential? In her last two matches in qualifying, Kutuzova saved at least 11 match points. Quite a feat.
Link to Venus' blog from Acapulco - http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/1/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=3024
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