Today’s Women’s News – Rome Update (05/16)

Written by: Staff on 16th May 2012

Today's Women's News - Rome Update (05/16)

Ana Ivanovic of Serbia returns a shot during her match against Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic during the fourth round women's singles match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 23 January 2012. EPA/AHMAD YUSNI |

Rome

Singles – Second Round: (1) Victoria Azarenka def. Shahar Peer 6-1 6-2

Victoria Azarenka remains #1; Shahar Peer remains below #50.

Oddly enough, after this extremely efficient win, Azarenka pulled out of the event, citing a shoulder injury. Presumably it’s precautionary….

Singles – Second Round: Petra Cetkovska def. (3) Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 4-6 6-1

Another shot at #2 lost by Agnieszka Radwanska. She will remain #3, and Maria Sharapova will be #2. Petra Cetkovska could rise as high as #26.

Singles – Second Round: (5) Samantha Stosur def. Sara Errani 6-3 7-5

Sara Errani will be no better than #23, but of course that’s good enough to earn her one of the Top 24 Roland Garros seeds.

Singles – Second Round: Anabel Medina Garrigues def. (6) Caroline Wozniacki 6-4 4-0 retired (upper respiratory illness)

Yesterday, we thought Anabel Medina Garrigues would merely be a Roland Garros alternate. With this, she clinches a seed. And she creates a real danger that Caroline Wozniacki won’t even be the #8 Roland Garros seed. Talk about a hard fall…. At least it sounds as if she’ll be healthy in time for Paris; she mentioned allergies in her explanation for this.

Singles – Second Round: Julia Goerges def. (7) Marion Bartoli 6-3 6-1

A bad loss for Marion Bartoli going into Roland Garros — but the loss by Wozniacki means that it won’t matter much; Bartoli will be a Top Eight seed in Paris.

Singles – Second Round: (8) Li Na def. Iveta Benesova 6-1 7-5

Li Na keeps alive her hopes for the #8 Roland Garros seed, but she is still well behind Caroline Wozniacki.

Singles – Second Round: (9) Serena Williams def. Nadia Petrova 4-6 6-2 6-3

One more win just might put Serena in the Top Five. And she is the only seed left in her quarter.

Singles – Second Round: (12) Angelique Kerber def. Vania King 6-3 6-2

Angelique Kerber is now less than 300 points from the Top Ten.

Singles – Second Round: (13) Ana Ivanovic def. (Q) Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-2 6-1

It appears this will take Ana Ivanovic to #13. But she needs two more wins to rise to #12 and earn the #12 Roland Garros seed.

Singles – Second Round: (14) Dominika Cibulkova def. (WC) Karin Knapp 6-3 4-6 6-1

This moves Dominika Cibulkova past Maria Kirilenko in the rankings, meaning that Cibulkova will almost certainly earn the #16 Roland Garros seed (and Kirilenko certainly won’t).

Cibulkova was the beneficiary of Azarenka’s withdrawal; she is the first player in the quarterfinal.

Singles – Second Round: Flavia Pennetta def. (Q) Sloane Stephens 6-2 6-3

One more win would very probably put Flavia Pennetta back in the Top Twenty.

Singles – Second Round: Sorana Cirstea def. Sofia Arvidsson 6-3 6-1

That score, sadly, is rather more typical of Sofia Arvidsson’s clay results than was her first round score. For Sorana Cirstea, the win takes her to within one victory of the Top Forty.

Singles – Second Round: Chanelle Scheepers def. Marina Erakovic 5-7 6-1 6-2

This will take Chanelle Scheepers to around #45, but it means that Marina Erakovic won’t clinch a Top Forty spot just yet.

Singles – Second Round: (WC) Venus Williams def. Ekaterina Makarova 7-6(9-7) 6-1

Ekaterina Makarova came into this match #37 in safe points, so she had an outside shot at a Roland Garros seed. That’s obviously gone. Venus Williams is now above #60.

Doubles – First Round: Pennetta/Schiavone def. Groenefeld/Martic 6-3 6-4

Doubles – First Round: (WC) Camerin/Knapp def. Lisicki/Peng (Peng: left hand injury)

Doubles – Second Round: (1) Huber/Raymond def. Mattek-Sands/Mirza 6-1 6-3

Sania Mirza’s post-Elena Vesnina career continues to be pretty troubled….