Australian Open 2012: Women Guaranteed to Fail on Jan. 20
The fringe players are beginning to fall in the women's draw, and more are set to fall on Friday. There are only two matches scheduled that pit seeded players against each other.
Here are players that will fall in their third round matches.
Svetlana Kunetzsova
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Kunetzsova, the 18th seed, is set to take on 14th seed Sabine Lisicki. The two have met one time before, in 2009 at Wimbledon. Lisicki won that match-up in straight sets, and she has been the most impressive thus far in the Australian Open.
Lisicki is coming off a dominant performance in her second round match-up, a straight sets win over Shahar Peer. Kunetzsova won in straight sets over American Sloane Stephens, but struggled in both sets, winning the first in a tiebreaker and the second 7-5.
Lisicki will handle Kunetzsova, as she will wilt with the competition stepped up from the last round. Lisicki's success will be short lived considering Maria Sharapova will be waiting in the fourth round.
Christina McHale
McHale is overmatched in her third round pairing with Jelena Jankovic. McHale is unseeded and Jankovic is seeded 13th. McHale is only 19 years old and still trying to find her way as a professional. Eight months ago, in their only prior meeting, she lost to Jankovic 6-2, 6-0 at the Family Circle Cup.
McHale dropped a set in her second round match to New Zealand's Marina Erakovic, an unseeded player. McHale has a bright future, but her time hasn't come yet.
Vania King
King is also overmatched in her third round pairing with Ana Ivanovic. King, the unseeded player taking on the 21st seed, has had no success against Ivanovic in the past. These two have met three times, and King has never won. In fact, she's only taken one set in the three matches combined.
King and McHale's exits will leave Serena Williams as the lone American remaining on the women's side. As usual, a Williams sister will carry all of the country's hopes in winning a Grand Slam tournament.
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