Bright Lights, Big City time everyone. Welcome to Talk About Tennis's 5th Annual United States Open Suicide Pool (or as we affectionately refer to it around these parts, our USOSP). For the next two weeks, we'll be racking our brains trying to navigate through what has historically proven to an incredibly difficult schedule of matches, looking for that one guaranteed winner. And since this is the ladies' game, and this is the '09 WTA, it's even more of a hot mess than ever.
You will be making one pick EACH DAY of the women’s event (NOT one each round), and once you use a player, you can never use them again. There will be a “picks and results thread” posted once the day 1 threads are closed so you can check the choices you have already made.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT YOU FOLLOW THE POSTED SCHEDULE OF PLAY BELOW TODAY, AND EVERY DAY. We will be opening a daily thread for you to place your selection as soon as play is announced for the next day, if not sooner. You must choose a match for those listed for the day - if there are scheduling issues due to rain, it will be announced in the daily thread.
Post your Day 1 pick by replying IN THIS THREAD. Your pick must be in by the SCHEDULED start of play for the day in New York, that is, Monday, August 31, 2009 at 11:00 AM New York time (east coast), 8:00 AM on the west coast. Don’t be late as we don't enjoy losing players due to late entry, but it's a rule we have to be very hard lined about.
A reminder - if you wish to change your pick after posting it, please POST YOUR PICK IN A NEW POST, instead of editing your previous post. . We often go through the thread before closing to start the task of updating our picks and results thread, and we might miss your change if you edit your original post.
And one last note: BOTH Williamses are in this half of the draw. While it likely is not a factor in the 1st round, if today, or any day before the halves of the draw merge you wish to pick a Williams, you MUST specify which one by first name.
Best of luck and thanks for joining us for the 5th Annual USOSP.
Monday’s schedule of play consists of these 32 matches from the BOTTOM HALF of the Womens draw:
Victoria Azarenka BLR (8) v Alexandra Dulgheru ROU
[Q] DOMACHOWSKA, Marta POL v [Q] ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA, Barbora CZE
Alberta Brianti ITA v Stefanie Voegele SUI
Yvonne Meusburger AUT [Q] v Francesca Schiavone ITA (26)
Na Li CHN (18) v Ioana Raluca Olaru ROU
Michelle Larcher De Brito POR v Mathilde Johansson FRA
Maria Kirilenko RUS v [Q] KORYTTSEVA, Mariya UKR
Patricia Mayr AUT v Agnieszka Radwanska POL (12)
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)
Kaia Kanepi EST (25) v [Q] CHANG, Kai-Chen TPE
Magdalena Rybarikova SVK v [Q] TETREAULT, Valerie CAN
Bethanie Mattek-Sands USA v Iveta Benesova CZE
Vera Dushevina RUS v Venus Williams USA (3)
Vera Zvonareva RUS (7) v Nuria Llagostera Vives ESP
[Q] SEMA, Erika JPN v Anna Chakvetadze RUS
[Q]GULLICKSON, Carly USA v Jill Craybas USA
Lucie Hradecka CZE v Elena Vesnina RUS (31)
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)
Samantha Stosur AUS (15) v Ai Sugiyama JPN
Vania King USA v Anastasiya Yakimova BLR
Timea Bacsinszky SUI v [Q] MANASIEVA, Vesna RUS
Meghann Shaughnessy USA v Daniela Hantuchova SVK (22)
Sybille Bammer AUT (28) v Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez ESP
[Q] KERBER, Angelique GER v Andrea Petkovic GER
Melinda Czink HUN v Maria Elena Camerin ITA
Alexa Glatch USA v Serena Williams USA (2)
"Nothing to lose? No. When you want something you have always something to lose."
Francesca Schiavone, pre-RG-finals interview, 6.4.10
USOSP Day 1 (Monday) Women's Pick
