Foot Fault!

I’m pretty sure I wasn’t alone in launching into a foul-mouthed rant following the revelation that Portoroz, one of the WTA’s most well-attended International events and a favourite amongst fans, was to be replaced by a brand new tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan - a city I didn’t even know existed before the announcement. And judging by the turnout in the tournament’s qualifying draw, the players feel exactly the same way;

No, your eyes do not deceive you - that is thirteen (13) byes at a WTA level event. On the plus side, they have managed to bribe with dirty, oligarchic oil money attract two top twenty players in the form of Vera Zvonareva and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, so we will see what’s going on, no?