Miami
Singles – Third Round (2) Maria Sharapova def. (Q) Sloane Stephens 6-4 6-2
Maria Sharapova has already clinched the #2 ranking, but the more points she earns here, the less she has to worry after her Rome title comes off..
Singles – Third Round (4) Caroline Wozniacki def. (29) Petra Cetkovska 6-3 7-5
Caroline Wozniacki had a horrible time finishing this off, being broken the first time she served for it and facing break point the second time. She will certainly have to do better than that to climb — but she isn’t likely to fall. She leaves Petra Cetkovska probably #28 or #29.
Singles – Third Round (6) Samantha Stosur def. Chanelle Scheepers 2-6 7-5 6-2
This puts Samantha Stosur back ahead of Agnieszka Radwanska in the contest for #4, but she is also one round deeper into the event; it doesn’t mean much. Chanelle Scheepers will very likely end up at #40 — certainly no higher, but probably no lower; every active player below her needs at least two wins to overtake her.
Singles – Third Round (8) Li Na def. Iveta Benesova 7-5 6-2
Iveta Benesova ends up around #45. Li Na improves her chances of moving up to #7, but it still depends on Marion Bartoli.
Singles – Third Round (10) Serena Williams def. (21) Roberta Vinci 6-2 6-1
Still no signs of trouble for Serena, who moves a little closer to clinching the #10 spot. Roberta Vinci will likely be Top Twenty, but she loses her chance to clinch.
Singles – Third Round (12) Sabine Lisicki def. (17) Peng Shuai 6-4 7-5
Peng Shuai continues to lose points; this will leave her still stuck below #20. Sabine Lisicki hasn’t moved in the rankings yet, but she is the only player other than Serena who still has a shot at the Top Ten.
Singles – Third Round (23) Yanina Wickmayer def. Kim Clijsters 6-4 7-6(7-5)
Yes, the seedings say that Yanina Wickmayer is the higher-ranked of these two, but did anyone really believe it? Maybe they will now…. Kim Clijsters, who was defending quarterfinalist points, is out of the Top Forty. Yanina Wickmayer hasn’t clinched anything, but she appears likely to return to the Top Thirty.
Singles – Third Round Ekaterina Makarova def. Mona Barthel 6-2 6-4
Ekaterina Makarova still hasn’t clinched her Top Forty ranking, but she is getting closer. The loss costs Mona Barthel the chance to rise above her current #36.
Doubles – First Round: (WC) Pavlyuchenkova/Safarova def. (3) Mirza/Vesnina 1-6 6-1 11-9 (Match TB)
What is it about this place and doubles seeds? First Huber/Raymond, then Peschke/Srebotnik, now this. Mirza and Vesnina should stay Top Ten, but is there anyone here who wants to win this event?
Doubles – First Round: (5) Kirilenko/Petrova def. Hsieh/Peng 7-6(7-2) 6-4
Doubles – First Round: (7) Shvedova/Voskoboeva def. (WC) Cibulkova/Jankovic 6-3 7-6(7-5)
It’s tough to get a ball past Cibulkova/Jankovic because they’re so fast — but even tougher to get one past Shvedova/Voskoboeva because they’re so big….
Doubles – First Round: Medina Garrigues/Pennetta def. Chuang/Kleybanova 6-1 6-3
Interesting that Kleybanova did better in her singles comeback than her doubles. Of course, doubles was never really her thing.
Doubles – First Round: King/Niculescu def. Date-Krumm/Zhang 7-6(7-1) 6-3
Doubles – First Round: Makarova/Zheng def. Grandin/Uhlirova 6-4 6-2
Doubles – Second Round: Dushevina/Peer def. (8) Hantuchova/Radwanska 6-2 7-5
Out go our defending champions. They may not care all that much, since their main interest is singles, but it obviously won’t help their rankings. Hantuchova, who last week fell from #17 to #23, will end up not much above #45; Radwanska, #25 to start the week (down from #20), will be barely Top Fifty.
© DAILY TENNIS NEWS WIRE
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Miami, FL, USA
March 20-31, 2012
$4,828,050/Premier
Hard/Outdoors
Results – Saturday, March 24, 2012
Singles – Third Round
(2) Maria Sharapova (RUS) d. (Q) Sloane Stephens (USA) 64 62
(4) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d. (29) Petra Cetkovska (CZE) 63 75
(6) Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) 26 75 62
(8) Li Na (CHN) d. Iveta Benesova (CZE) 75 62
(10) Serena Williams (USA) d. (21) Roberta Vinci (ITA) 62 61
(12) Sabine Lisicki (GER) d. (17) Peng Shuai (CHN) 64 75
(23) Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) d. Kim Clijsters (BEL) 64 76(5)
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) d. Mona Barthel (GER) 62 64
Doubles – Second Round
Dushevina/Peer (RUS/ISR) d. (8) Hantuchova/Radwanska (SVK/POL) 62 75
Doubles – First Round
(WC) Pavlyuchenkova/Safarova (RUS/CZE) d. (3) Mirza/Vesnina (IND/RUS) 16 61 119 (Match TB)
(5) Kirilenko/Petrova (RUS/RUS) d. Hsieh/Peng (TPE/CHN) 76(2) 64
(7) Shvedova/Voskoboeva (KAZ/KAZ) d. (WC) Cibulkova/Jankovic (SVK/SRB) 62 76(5)
Medina Garrigues/Pennetta (ESP/ITA) d. Chuang/Kleybanova (TPE/RUS) 61 63
King/Niculescu (USA/ROU) d. Date-Krumm/Zhang (JPN/CHN) 76(1) 63
Makarova/Zheng (RUS/CHN) d. Grandin/Uhlirova (RSA/CZE) 64 62
Order Of Play – Sunday, March 25, 2012
Stadium (from 11.00hrs)
1. ATP: Berdych vs. Dimitrov
2. Venus Williams vs. Aleksandra Wozniak (NB 13.00hrs)
3. Daniela Hantuchova vs. Ana Ivanovic (NB 15.00hrs)
4. ATP: Stepanek vs. Nadal
5. Victoria Azarenka vs. Heather Watson (NB 19.30hrs)
6. ATP: Mayer vs. Isner (NB 21.30hrs)
Grandstand (from 11.00hrs)
1. ATP: Dolgopolov vs. Tipsarevic
2. ATP: Simon vs. Melzer
3. ATP: Raonic vs. Murray
4. Sílvia Soler-Espinosa vs. Agnieszka Radwanska
5. ATP: Bryan/Bryan vs. Melo/Mónaco (NB 17.00hrs)
Court 1 (from 11.00hrs)
1. Simona Halep vs. Marion Bartoli
2. Garbiñe Muguruza Blanco vs. Flavia Pennetta
3. ATP: Tsonga vs. Kohlschreiber
4. ATP: Nishikori vs. Rosol
5. ATP: Marach/Peya vs. Mirnyi/Nestor (NB 18.00hrs)
Court 2 (from 11.00hrs)
1. Zheng Jie vs. Dominika Cibulkova
2. ATP: Marrero/Verdasco vs. López/López
3. Ksenia Pervak vs. Maria Kirilenko
4. Makarova/Zheng vs. Birnerova/Jans-Ignacik (after suitable rest)
5. ATP: Qureshi/Rojer vs. Bracciali/Cabal
Court 3 (from 12.00hrs)
1. Errani/Vinci vs. Groenefeld/Martic
Topics: Agnieszka Radwanska, Caroline Wozniacki, Li Na, Maria Sharapova, Peng Shuai, Petra Cetkovska, Samantha Stosur, Serena Williams, Sloane Stephens, Yanina Wickmayer