2009 US Open Women's Draw Breakdown

The women's draw at the 2009 US Open is a tricky one, to be sure.  With no player asserting herself as a consistent force to be reckoned with over the last several months, it's a wide open tournament.

Here's a breakdown of each sixteenth of the draw.  I'll do a breakdown of the later rounds once we reach the round of sixteen, because with the amount of carnage that the first week could bring, any

TOP HALF

Dinara Safina RUS (1) v Olivia Rogowska AUS
Urszula Radwanska POL v Kristina Barrois GER
Tathiana Garbin ITA v Mallory Cecil USA
Petra Kvitova CZE v Alisa Kleybanova RUS (27)

A tough draw for Olivia Rogowska, who got Tennis Australia's reciprocal wild card and draws the world #1 in the first round.  Safina should get through Radwanska or Barrois (that should be a good match), but could run into some trouble with Kleybanova (who should do well against both Kvitova and Garbin).   But Safina should get through Kleybanova I'm thinking.  For all the talk of how she is weaker at slams, Safina's been money in their early rounds this year.  Predicted Section Winner: Dinara Safina

Patty Schnyder SUI (19) v Lucie Safarova CZE
Sara Errani ITA v Arantxa Rus NED
Shuai Peng CHN v Jarmila Groth AUS
Yanina Wickmayer BEL v Virginie Razzano FRA (16)

This is the toughest section to predict, in my mind.  Any of these eight could make it out.  Patty Schnyder is the enigma in this section.  If she's playing her best stuff, she should make it out.  If she's doesn't, she'll drop out of the top twenty for the first time in years, losing her quarterfinal points from last year's US Open.  I'll say she manages to use her experience to make it to the round of 16.  But a loss to Safarova in the first round also wouldn't stun me.  And Razzano is the highest seed in this section...who knows.  Predicted Section Winner: Patty Schnyder

Ana Ivanovic SRB (11) v Kateryna Bondarenko UKR
Shenay Perry (Q) USA v Monica Niculescu ROU
Anastasia Rodionova (Q) AUS v Lourdes Dominguez Lino ESP
Aravane Rezai FRA v Sabine Lisicki GER (23)

This is another tough section, with the winner almost inevitably coming out of the top or bottom match.  Ivanovic has a tough draw here, with big hitting Kateryna Bondarenko and tricky Monica Niculescu.  Either one of them could take her out.  But Sabine Lisicki is probably the one to beat.  Rezai could take Lisicki out early though, as the German has hasn't played since Los Angeles with injury.  It's another crap shoot. Predicted Section Winner: Kateryna Bondarenko

Alona Bondarenko UKR (30) v Alla Kudryavtseva RUS
Gisela Dulko ARG v Ekaterina Makarova RUS
Yaroslava Shvedova KAZ v Masa Zec Peskiric SLO
Roberta Vinci ITA v Jelena Jankovic SRB (5)

The most straight forward section so far.  With her win in Cincinnati, no one in this quarter comes into the US Open playing as well as Jankovic.  Whether she faces Bondarenko, Kudryavtseva, or Dulko in the third round, Jankovic should make it through.  Predicted Section Winner: Jelena Jankovic

Elena Dementieva RUS (4) v Camille Pin (Q) FRA
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS v Melanie Oudin USA
Polona Hercog SLO v Christina McHale USA
Tsvetana Pironkova BUL v Maria Sharapova RUS (29)

Just about everybody in this eight is unlucky to have landed here.  Melanie Oudin and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova both could have made big runs if not for Dementieva in the second round.  And Dementieva will have her hands full with Sharapova, who she beat in a competitive, wind-addled final in Toronto, the last big tournament before the open.  That match should be a doozy, but I like Dementieva to make it through.  Predicted Section Winner: Elena Dementieva

Zheng Jie CHN (21) v Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER
Alize Cornet FRA v Monique Adamczak (Q) AUS
Eva Hrdinova (Q) CZE v Julie Coin FRA
Katarina Srebotnik SLO v Nadia Petrova RUS (13)

Probably the weakest section of all is Nadia Petrova's.  Zheng should make it through, but Groenefeld could take her out.  Julie Coin, who shook up the tournament last year by knocking out then #1 Ana Ivanovic in the second round as a qualifier, could threaten to make the third round again.  It's also Katarina Srebotnik's first tournament of 2009 after missing 10 months due to injury--will be interesting to see how she has recovered, since she was playing the best tennis of her career before getting injured. Predicted Section Winner: Zheng Jie

Caroline Wozniacki DEN (9) v Galina Voskoboeva KAZ
Petra Martic (Q) CRO v Severine Bremond Beltrame FRA
Kristina Mladenovic FRA v Stephanie Dubois CAN
Ayumi Morita JPN v Sorana Cirstea ROU (24)

This should be an easy road to the third round for both Wozniacki and Cirstea.  Wozniacki should win that match between the two of them, but Cirstea could make things interesting.  Predicted Section Winner: Caroline Wozniacki

Agnes Szavay HUN (32) v Shahar Peer ISR
Varvara Lepchenko USA v Carla Suarez Navarro ESP
Tamarine Tanasugarn THA v Anastasija Sevastova LAT
Julia Goerges GER v Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS (6)

This section is absolutely Kuznetsova's to lose.  But Kuznetsova has a unique way of blowing easy draws, and it would be absolutely no shock to see her do it again here.  Goerges made the final last week in the Bronx Open, and Agnes Szavay also has been playing better of late.  Carla Suarez Navarro already made a quarterfinal at a hard court slam this year, in Australia.  Another pick 'em. Predicted Section Winner: Agnes Szavay

BOTTOM HALF

Victoria Azarenka BLR (8) v Alexandra Dulgheru ROU
Marta Domachowska (Q) POL v Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (Q) CZE
Alberta Brianti ITA v Stefanie Voegele SUI
Yvonne Meusburger AUT (Q) v Francesca Schiavone ITA (26)

A very straightforward section for Azarenka, who rarely has trouble beating players she should.  I can't imagine anyone in this section giving her the least bit of trouble. Predicted Section Winner: Victoria Azarenka

Na Li CHN (18) v Ioana Raluca Olaru ROU
Michelle Larcher De Brito POR v Mathilde Johansson FRA
Maria Kirilenko RUS v Mariya Koryttseva (Q) UKR
Patricia Mayr AUT v Agnieszka Radwanska POL (12)

Radwanska is another player who rarely loses to players she shouldn't lose to, so she too should make it through this section.  She should dismantle Patricia Mayr, but if Mayr can keep it close there could be some fireworks.  Larcher De Brito also has a shot to make the third round, but nobody is going to give Radwanska the boot.  Predicted Section Winner: Agnieszka Radwanska

Marion Bartoli FRA (14) v Rossana De Los Rios PAR
Viktoriya Kutuzova UKR v Kim Clijsters BEL
Kirsten Flipkens BEL v Jelena Dokic AUS
Gail Brodsky USA v Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP (20)

A very nice section of the draw for Kim Clijsters, who is playing her first US Open since she won it in 2005.  She's first on Ashe Stadium Monday, and has a very workable section of the draw.  Marion Bartoli is always a wild card, but seems demoralized about facing Clijsters, and will likely paint herself a victim as she lets Clijsters through.  Predicted Section Winner: Kim Clijsters

Kaia Kanepi EST (25) v Kai-Chen Chang (Q) TPE
Magdalena Rybarikova SVK v Valerie Tetrault (Q)  CAN
Bethanie Mattek-Sands USA v Iveta Benesova CZE
Vera Dushevina RUS v Venus Williams USA (3)

Kanepi's may be the weakest 32nd of the draw.  Should be very smooth sailing for Venus Williams.  The only real question is what Bethanie Mattek-Sands will wear.  Predicted Section Winner: Venus Williams

Vera Zvonareva RUS (7) v Nuria Llagostera Vives ESP
Erika Sema (Q) JPN v Anna Chakvetadze RUS
Carly Gullickson (Q) USA v Jill Craybas USA
Lucie Hradecka CZE v Elena Vesnina RUS (31)

Another weak section.  Zvonareva is by far the weakest of the top eight seeds, but she should at least make the third round.  I'm not sure Vesnina has the mental fortitude to pull off a big upset of a countrywoman at a slam, so I think Zvonareva will survive. Predicted Section Winner: Vera Zvonareva

Amelie Mauresmo FRA (17) v Tatjana Malek GER
Aleksandra Wozniak CAN v Laura Granville USA
Olga Govortsova BLR v Sania Mirza IND
Edina Gallovits ROU v Flavia Pennetta ITA (10)

A very easy road for Pennetta and Mauresmo to have a rematch of their fourth round match last year.  Tatjana Malek won the Bronx Open warm up last year, but Mauresmo vs. Pennetta seems inevitable.  And Pennetta should win that match again.  Predicted Section Winner: Flavia Pennetta

Samantha Stosur AUS (15) v Ai Sugiyama JPN
Vania King USA v Anastasiya Yakimova BLR
Timea Bacsinszky SUI v Vesna Manasieva (Q) RUS
Meghann Shaughnessy USA v Daniela Hantuchova SVK (22)

Samantha Stosur has had a strong year in slams and hard courts, so she should do well in New York as well.  A match up vs. Hantuchova would not play to Stosur's strengths at all, but I like Bacsinszky to take out Hantuchova before Stosur has to worry about her.  Predicted Section Winner: Samantha Stosur

Sybille Bammer AUT (28) v Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez ESP
Angelique Kerber (Q) GER v Andrea Petkovic GER
Melinda Czink HUN v Maria Elena Camerin ITA
Alexa Glatch USA v Serena Williams USA (2)

Sybille Bammer is not the seed Serena Williams wants to see near her as a draw, considering how much trouble Bammer has given the defending champion in the past.  But I have a feeling Martinez Sanchez will take out Bammer before Serena would run into her, so it should be fairly smooth sailing for Serena into the second week.  Predicted Section Winner: Serena Williams