[gettoblaster]

Grand Prix de SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem

Fes, Morocco
April 27 - May 2, 2009
International
Prize Money: $220,000
Draw: 32M/32Q/16D
Surface: Red Clay/Outdoors
Tournament Director: Mejjati Alami Fouad

Official Web Site:
http://www.frmt.ma/contenu/Grand-prix-lala-meryem.asp

The only information on the official site is from last year. If I find this years information I'll post it. If anyone has this years info please post it.

[slarceSelia]

Unofficially: Kleybanova, Cirstea, Kirilenko, Pavlyuchenkova, Peer, Rezai, Vinci, Keothavong...

Weak tournament, but that's to be expected in the same week as Premier tournament...

[FelixQY]

That website is one (if not, number 1) of the worst tournament sites that lacks information.

[Ngwkgczx]

Dunno if I agree...it's got tons of info (of last year's tournament...)

[gettoblaster]

***NOTE***
The Order of Play is supposed to be right. The draw showing Anne Schaefer with a WC and ranked #3 is said to be incorrect.

http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/g.../fes_draws.pdf

[FelixQY]

Think the Fes qualification draw is correct as they probably gave her a W/C to the qualies

[aLZ9zKsO]

***NOTE***
The Order of Play is supposed to be right. The draw showing Anne Schaefer with a WC and ranked #3 is said to be incorrect.

http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/g.../fes_draws.pdf

Probably because of a late registration.

[gettoblaster]

Main Draw

(1/wc)Anabel Medina Garrigues v Camille Pin
Klara Zakopalova v Urszula Radwanska
Anne Keothavong v Maret Ani
Lourdes Dominguez-Lino v (5)Sorana Cirstea

(3)Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Galina Voskoboeva
Q v Melinda Czink
Lucie Hradecka v (wc)Nadia Lalami
Aravane Rezai v (8)Shahar Peer

(6)Ekaterina Makarova v Ioana Raluca Olaru
Akiko Morigami v (wc)Fatima El Allami
Petra Cetkovska v Yanina Wickmayer
Marta Doamchowska v (4)Maria Kirilenko

(7)Roberta Vinci v Mariana Duque Marino
Q v Patricia Mayr
Jarmila Groth v Q
Q v (2)Alisa Kleybanova

[glamourcitys]

Order of Play - Monday, April 27, 2009

Court Mjid (from 11.00hrs)
1. Hercog vs. Védy (Singles Q Final)
2. Czink/Keothavong vs. Bennani/Lalami
3. Makarova vs. Olaru
4. Domachowska vs. Kirilenko
5. El Allami/Schaefer vs. Kondratieva/Lefèvre

Court 1 (from 11.00hrs)
1. Diatchenko vs. Fondevila Castro (Singles Q Final)
2. Dentoni vs. Shamayko (Singles Q Final)
3. Pin/Védy vs. Diatchenko/Mircic

Court 4 (from 11.00hrs)
1. Vierin vs. Fernández-Brugues (Singles Q Final)

[glamourcitys]

Order of Play - Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Court Mjid (from 11.00hrs)
1. Hradecka vs. Lalami
2. Medina Garrigues vs. Pin
3. Domínguez Lino vs. Cirstea
4. Morigami vs. El Allami
5. Cirstea/Kirilenko vs. Fernández-Brugues/Thorpe

Court 1 (from 11.00hrs)
1. Vierin vs. Czink
2. Diatchenko vs. Hercog
3. Rezai vs. Peer
4. Pavlyuchenkova vs. Voskoboeva

Court 4 (from 11.00hrs)
1. Cetkovska vs. Fernández-Brugues
2. Dentoni vs. Kleybanova
3. Vinci vs. Duque Marino
4. Kapros/Shamayko vs. Kleybanova/Makarova

Court 5 (from 11.00hrs)
1. Groth vs. Fondevila Castro
2. Keothavong vs. Ani
3. Zakopalova vs. U.Radwanska

[PyncGyncliacy]

RESULTS
Singles - First Round
Marta Domachowska (POL) d. (4) Maria Kirilenko (RUS) 64 64
(6) Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) d. Ioana Raluca Olaru (ROU) 76(5) 64

Doubles - First Round
(4) Kondratieva/Lefevre (RUS/FRA) d. (WC) El Allami/Schaefer (MAR/GER) 61 60
Czink/Keothavong (HUN/GBR) d. (WC) Bennani/Lalami (MAR/MAR) 60 36 106
Pin/Vedy (FRA/FRA) d. Diatchenko/Mircic (RUS/SRB) 76(3) 62

Singles Qualifying - Final Round
Paula Fondevila Castro (ESP) d. (1) Vitalia Diatchenko (RUS) 64 62
(2) Corinna Dentoni (ITA) d. Marina Shamayko (RUS) 46 61 64
(3) Polona Hercog (SLO) d. (8) Aurelie Vedy (FRA) 75 62
(4) Nathalie Vierin (ITA) d. (7) Eva Fernandez-Brugues (ESP) 75 61

[parurorges]

I will never understand why there is a tournament in Fes. I remember last year when there was hardly a person in the stands for the semifinal or final. Just now I don't think there was anybody watching AMG vs. Pin. If nobody is interested in watching, why bother organizing an event? Plus, you don't gain international prestige since nobody cares for a weak tournament like this on a global level either. From the WTA Tour, there are so many places where people would love seeing tennis, why not give those places the tournament?

[Quick$bux]

I will never understand why there is a tournament in Fes.

It's the only WTA Level event in Africa on the calendar, isn't it Oliver? If you are a world-wide sport, I think you need to maintain a presence, and some event(s) on every continent.

[parurorges]

Yeah, but why not hold it in South Africa where there is a) the infrastructure and b) the audience for it?

[slarceSelia]

Yeah, but why not hold it in South Africa where there is a) the infrastructure and b) the audience for it?

Because 1) there is no good place for it on the calendar. It's too far to be a part of clay season 2) it's one of the most crime ridden countries in the world

[parurorges]

Hmmm, while your arguments do sound logical at first, suliso, I'm not convinced. You have always had tournaments that were quite far away from everything else, e.g. Quebec the last couple of years, but also at the beginning the tournaments in the Middle East. It also wouldn't have to be part of the clay season. Just like Jo'burg for the men, it could be part of the hardcourt swing.

The crime rate is tough there (I know because I've lived in Southern Africa for two years). But that doesn't prevent the soccer World Championships or lots of golf events from being held there.

My point is: If you want to prove that you are a global sport (great), and you feel like you have to stage an event in Africa, then take a country that better represents the continent than Morocco.

[Quick$bux]

I wonder if Pop-Specs are the official sunglasses of the Grand Prix de SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem?

[slarceSelia]

The real reason probably is that there is no one willing to sponsor it.

Why do you think South Africa would represent Africa better than Morocco?

[parurorges]

The real reason probably is that there is no one willing to sponsor it.

Why do you think South Africa would represent Africa better than Morocco?

There a huge differences between Northern Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. Although Ghadaffi (or however he is spelled) is trying hard to change it, Northern African countries tend to associate themselves more with other Arab countries than with Sub-Saharan countries. And you already have enough representation of Arab countries.

[PyncGyncliacy]

Hmmm, while your arguments do sound logical at first, suliso, I'm not convinced. You have always had tournaments that were quite far away from everything else, e.g. Quebec the last couple of years, but also at the beginning the tournaments in the Middle East. It also wouldn't have to be part of the clay season. Just like Jo'burg for the men, it could be part of the hardcourt swing.

The crime rate is tough there (I know because I've lived in Southern Africa for two years). But that doesn't prevent the soccer World Championships or lots of golf events from being held there.

My point is: If you want to prove that you are a global sport (great), and you feel like you have to stage an event in Africa, then take a country that better represents the continent than Morocco.

Well, North Africa is part of the continent,too.

ATP Casablanca always had people in the stands because a lot of young people, presumably students, were bussed there (I really don't know where they came from, but they came in segregated busloads, so it wasn't public buses). They should just do the same for Fes.