Indian Wells
Late Wednesday
The following matches were completed after our previous edition went out.
Singles – Quarterfinal: (2) Maria Sharapova def. (6) Sara Errani 7-6(8-6) 6-2
And so Maria Sharapova stays in the contest for #2 — and Sara Errani goes out of the contest for #6. Errani will be #7; Angelique Kerber will have the #6 spot. And Sharapova will face her good friend Maria Kirilenko for a spot in the final.
Doubles – Quarterfinal: Hsieh/Peng def. Hantuchova/Medina Garrigues 6-2 6-7(6-8) 10-4
Hsieh Su-Wei’s singles ranking is sliding, but she seems to be on fire in doubles.
Early Matches
Singles – Quarterfinal: (13) Maria Kirilenko def. (5) Petra Kvitova 4-6 6-4 6-3
It looked for all the world as if Petra Kvitova would cruise into the semifinal. But Maria Kirilenko doesn’t seem to get started until about halfway through the second set. That amazing stamina of hers that had earlier allowed her to beat Agnieszka Radwanska kicked in again and won her the second set and gave her a lead of 4-2, then 5-3, in the third. She went down 0-30 as she served for the match, but then won four points in a row — and, of course, the match. That takes Kirilenko up to #13 — and leaves Petra Kvitova at #8.
Doubles – Quarterfinal: (3) Petrova/Srebotnik def. (6) Llagostera Vives/Zheng 6-1 6-2
Petrova/Srebotnik continue to make a claim to being the best team of the year… other than Errani/Vinci.