The day’s first big news wasn’t even a match result. It was that Victoria Azarenka has indeed withdrawn from Miami due to her ankle injury. Her replacement is Lucky Loser Lauren Davis. It’s not a big surprise, but it of course takes Azarenka out of the hunt for #1. Indeed, the only hope she had for #2 was that Maria Sharapova lose her opener….
Singles – Second Round: (6) Angelique Kerber def. Francesca Schiavone 6-7(5-7) 6-3 6-2
If you like variety, this was probably the match of the day. Pretty good drama, too. But, in the end, it still leaves Francesca Schiavone near the bottom of the Top Fifty.
Singles – Second Round: (11) Nadia Petrova def. Zheng Jie 6-3 6-1
Zheng Jie made the third round last year, so this drops her to not much above #50.
Singles – Second Round: (15) Roberta Vinci def. Christina McHale 6-7(2-7) 6-1 6-3
Christina McHale managed to defend her points, which she hasn’t done all that often lately, but she didn’t add any, so she will remain below #50.
Singles – Second Round: Svetlana Kuznetsova def. (18) Ekaterina Makarova 6-4 6-4
Hardly a surprise, given that Svetlana Kuznetsova is clearly back to something close to her usual form. One more win would put her in the Top Forty. It is likely that Ekaterina Makarova, who made the fourth round last year, will lose her Top Twenty spot.
Singles – Second Round: (20) Carla Suarez Navarro def. Jamie Hampton 5-7 7-5 7-6(7-3)
Carla Suarez Navarro now looks almost certain to hit the Top Twenty.
Singles – Second Round: (21) Klara Zakopalova def. Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3 7-6(7-3)
Klara Zakopalova is making a Top Twenty push also, although she isn’t quite as sure.
Singles – Second Round: (28) Sorana Cirstea def. Silvia Soler-Espinosa 2-6 7-5 6-2
Sorana Cirstea didn’t earn any points here last year, so she is making a Top 25 push.
Singles – Second Round: (29) Elena Vesnina def. Donna Vekic 6-4 6-2
This ought to put Elena Vesnina in the Top Thirty.
Singles – Second Round: Lauren Davis def. Madison Keys 6-1 5-7 7-6(9-7)
It’s a big surprising that Lauren Davis didn’t get a wildcard here; she is American, and young, and is ranked almost as high as Madison Keys. Maybe she wanted to bring that point home to the tennis organizations….
Topics: Angelique Kerber, Miami Masters, Miami Sony Open, Nadia Petrova, Roberta Vinci, Sorana Cirstea, women tennis news, WTA tennis news