Seed cull rivals the Netflix curse as record low seeded players left at Australian Open since system introduced in 2002

WTA
Thursday, 18 January 2024 at 23:00
rybakinar2 imago1039116949h
he 2024 Australian Open was filled with surprises in the women's main draw, with 20 out of the 32 seeded players eliminated in the first few days. This marks the year with the fewest seeded players advancing, at least until the third round, since the introduction of the seeding system in 2002.
Among the remaining seeded players, only five are from the top-10, and seven are among the top 16 seeds, who were guaranteed to face opponents with lower rankings at least until the fourth round.
The most significant upsets occurred on the fifth day, with the departure of two top-5 players. Elena Rybakina (No. 3) fell to Anna Blinkova in an incredible 42-point tie-break, with a scoreline of 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(20). Additionally, Jessica Pegula was surprised by Clara Burel, suffering a decisive 4-6, 2-6 defeat.

Just few matchups between seeded players in the upcoming rounds

Only two of the third-round matches will feature two seeded players facing off. On one side, world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka will take on the 28th seed Lesia Tsurenko, while the clash between former Grand Slam champion Jelena Ostapenko (11th) and Victoria Azarenka (18th) adds another intriguing matchup.
As of now, there won't be any encounters between top-10 players, with the first potential matchup possibly occurring in the quarterfinals, potentially between Sabalenka (No. 2) and Barbora Krejcikova (No. 9). In the remaining three quarters of the draw, there is no more than one top-10 player in each section.

Open field emerges in early rounds

With the early exit of most seeded players, the draw appears much more accessible for favorites like Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Coco Gauff. Simultaneously, opportunities have arisen for potential surprises among the remaining seeded players.
Players like Beatriz Haddad Maia and Qinwen Zheng have opened up their possibilities. The Brazilian is guaranteed not to face a seeded opponent until a potential quarterfinal match with Coco Gauff, while the outlook is even more favorable for the Chinese player, who wouldn't have to confront any top-25 players until a potential semifinal clash with Swiatek.

Just In

Popular News