–
It’s a bit of a Tweener week (so is this coming week in Hamburg and Palermo).
And with the top players taking a breather before the torrid summer North American hard-court swing, there is opportunity.
And there were some players who took full advantage.
In Lausanne, unseeded Petra Martic defeated qualifier Olga Danilovic to win only the second title of her career.
And in Budapest, qualifier Bernarda Pera of the U.S. (via Croatia) defeated unseeded Aleksandra Krunic to take the title there.
At 27, it is her first.
For the complete WTA rankings picture, click here.
ON THE UPSWING
Jessica Pegula (USA): No. 8 ========> No. 7 (Pegula slides into a career high – and becomes the No. 1 American again – after Danielle Collins failed to defend her points in Lausanne from a year ago in Budapest).
Petra Martic (CRO): No. 85 ========> No. 55 (Only the second title of the 31-year-old Croat’s career. And it comes with a nice bump in the rankings. Martic reached her career best of No. 14 not long ago – just before the 2020 Australian Open. But this year has been a bit of a grind, so this is a welcome bump).
Anastasia Potapova: No. 79 ========> No. 63 (Potapova, still just 21, has been sort on a plateau the last couple of years. But her semifinal in Lausanne lifts her up to a career high).
Aleksandra Krunic (SRB): No. 105 ========> No. 75 (It’s been a ride for Krunic, whose career high in singles of No. 39 came in June, 2018. She began the 2021 season at No. 228, and began this season at No. 128. So she’s rallying nicely after making the final in Budapest out of the qualifying).
Bernarda Pera (USA): No. 130 ========> No. 81 (Pera, 27, shouldn’t have to worry now about the qualifying at the US Open, as she wins her first career title out of the qualifying in Budapest. She didn’t drop a set. The elegant lefty’s career high was No. 59 – the week before the pandemic shut tennis down for five months).
Olga Danilovic (SRB): No. 124 ========> No. 108 (Danilovic went from the qualifying to the final in Lausanne, jumping her up 18 spots. She won her first (and only) title in Moscow by going from the qualifying to the title. But in between she has had her struggles, despite being a highly-touted junior out of Serbia a few years ago).
Emma Navarro (USA): No. 213 ========> No. 155 (Having decided to forego the rest of her college years to go pro, Navarro is getting off to a great start. She followed up a final at a $60K two weeks ago with a title in Liepaja, Latvia last week, at another $60K. Navarro only dropped one set, and is at a career high).
ON THE DOWNSWING
Danielle Collins (USA): No. 7 ========> No. 8 (Collins made the semifinals in Budapest a year ago, but fell in the first round in Lausanne this year, to allow Pegula to squeeze by her. She has another 280 points to defend this week, from her title in Palermo in 2021. And then another 470 points from her title in San Jose last year. So it’s a key part of her season).
Barbora Krejcikova (CZE): No. 17 ========> No. 19 (Krejcikova won the title in Prague a year ago. Which is probably why she was out there last week on the clay – straight from her doubles title at Wimbledon. But she lost first round, and drops two spots)
Yulia Putintseva (KAZ): No. 32 ========> No. 39 (Putintseva made the semis in Budapest, but she won the title last year, and the 170-point difference drops her seven spots in a tight section of the rankings).
Anhelina Kalinina (UKR): No. 39 ========> No. 51 (Kalinina, then ranked No. 95, made the final in Budapest a year ago. But she retired in the first round against Siniakova last week, and drops out of the top 50).
Tereza Martincova (CZE): No. 57 ========> No. 71 (From a career best of No. 40 back in February, Martincova drops after making the final in Prague a year ago, but not playing last week).
Maryna Zanevska (BEL): No. 62 ========> No. 72 (At a career high last week, Zanevska drops after the points from her semifinal in Lausanne a year ago drop. She didn’t play last week).
Lucia Bronzetti (ITA): No. 66 ========> No. 78 (Bronzetti, 23, was at a career-high No. 66 last week. But her first-round loss, combined with losing the points from her quarterfinal effort in Lausanne a year ago, means the drop. She has another quarter-final result to defend in Palermo this week).
Wang, Xiyu (CHN): No. 68 ========> No. 80 (At a career-high last week, the 20-year-old hasn’t played since Berlin, before Wimbledon. She drops points from a semifinal effort in Prague a year ago).
Tamara Zidansek (SLO): No. 55 ========> No. 85 (The 24-year-old from Slovenia was at a career high No. 22 just over four months ago. But she’s the embodiment of what happens when you come around again a year later, and don’t defend those points that got you there. Zidansek had a final in Bogota, a semifinal at Roland Garros and a title in Lausanne in 2021. This year, she hasn’t won back-to-back matches since reaching the third round of the Australian Open. And so, what went up, now comes down).
Clara Burel (FRA): No. 106 ========> No. 134 (It’s a tough time for Burel to drop those points. Because the deadline for the US Open main draw is Monday. And while No. 106 put her on the bubble, No. 134 means it’s qualies time).
More Stories
Under veil of secrecy, Sinner absolved of fault in positive doping test
WTA Rankings Report – As of Aug. 19, 2024
WTA Tour – Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024 final results