Carlsbad
Briton Laura Robson struggled but survived to win a fight back 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory over Japan’s Ayumi Morita in a first hardcourt start since Wimbledon. Victory took two hours after losing a one-hour first set and winning the second on a double-fault.
No. 32 Robson unleashed in the third at the La Costa resort, sweeping to the victory after standing two points from defeat deep in the second The first British woman to reach Wimbledon fourth round since 1998 is making her debut at the pre-US Open event headed by top seed Victoria Azarenka.
Robson looked to be leaving the tournament early despite forcing Morita to five set points in the first set, only winning the second on her first chance from her opponent’s costly serving error. Robson went up a double break in the final set to set up a second-round clash with third seed and
2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic after her win in two and three-quarter hours.
Robson now leads Morita 2-1 in their series after losing to the Asian in the Lisbon first round in the spring on clay. “It was really tough today – Ayumi was playing super, super well,” said the teenaged winner. “It felt like every time I hit a good shot, she would hit a better shot. So I just had to stick with it and wait for my chance.
Spanish eighth seed Carla Suarez Navarro started with a victory over Sachie Ishizu of 6-4, 6-3 while local Californian qualifier Coco Vandeweghe crushed American wild card Alexandra Kiick 6-1, 6-2. Kazak Sesil Karatantcheva beat slumping German Julia Goerges, who has lost her last four matches, 6-3, 7-5.
Ursula Radwanska, younger sister of second seed Agnieskza, defeated Marina Erakovic of New Zealand 7-6 (7-3), 6-4. Daniela Hantuchova, who will play doubles with Martina Hingis as the 32-year-old Swiss makes another comeback to tennis, needed only 47 minutes to beat Tamira Paszek 6-0, 6-0.
Washington DC
German seeds Angelique Kerber and Mona Barthel began with wins as No. 1 Kerber beat Irina Falconi of the US 6-2, 6-3 and sixth Mona Barthel put out Swiss Stefanie Voegele 6-2, 6-2. French fourth seed joined in as she defeated Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-1, 6-3. Britain’s Heather Watson, now coached by former player Jeremy Bates, reached the second round over Alexandra Mueller of the US 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3, followed by compatriot Alison Riske, a winner over compatriot Vania King 6-3, 7-5.
Fifth seed Sorana Cirstea took out Lesia Tsurenko 7-5, 1-1 and eighth-seeded American Madison Keys stopped Maria Sharapova’s Wimbledon conqueror Michelle Larcher De Brito of Portugal 7-5. 6-3.
Third seed Ekaterina Makarova of Russia spoiled WTA return of Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard 6-4, 6-2 after the teenager had spent the past few weeks in Team Tennis.
RANKINGS
Estimated WTA Rankings As of July 28, 2013
Rank &
Prior
Rank….Name…………..Points
1..(1) SWilliams ……… 11705
2..(2) Sharapova ……… 9235
3..(3) Azarenka ………..8825
4..(4) ARADWANSKA ………6045*
5..(5) Li ……………..5555
6..(6) Errani ………….5100
7..(7) Kvitova ……….. 4435
8..(8) Bartoli ……….. 4365
9..(9) Kerber ………….3970
10.(10) Wozniacki ……… 3660
11.(11) Vinci …………. 3220
12.(12) Kirilenko ……… 2976
13.(13) STOSUR ………….2965
14.(14) Flipkens ………..2886
15.(15) Stephens ………..2870
16.(16) Jankovic ………..2865
17.(17) Ivanovic ………..2740
18.(18) Lisicki ……….. 2650
19.(19) Suarez Navarro …..2430
20.(20) Petrova ……….. 2306
21.(25) CIBULKOVA ……… 2095*
22.(21) Vesnina ……….. 1889
23.(22) Halep …………. 1885
24.(29) HAMPTON ……….. 1826*
25.(23) Pavlyuchenkova …..1795
26.(24) Kanepi ………….1781
27.(26) Makarova ………..1742
28.(32) CIRSTEA ……….. 1700
29.(27) Kuznetsova ………1657
30.(28) Safarova ………..1655
DRAWS
Carlsbad — Week of July 29
1 Azarenka
–bye
Pennetta
Schiavone
U Radwanska
Qualifier
Burdette
6 Jankovic
4 Vinci
–bye
Puig
Mattek-Sands
Qualifier
Kiick (WC)
Cibulkova
7 Ivanovic
8 Suarez Navarro
Qualifier
Kuznetsova
Razzano (WC)
Robson
Morita
–bye
3 Kvitova
5 Stosur (WC)
Lepchenko
Goerges
Qualifier
Hantuchova
Paszek
–bye
2 A Radwanska
Washington — Week of July 29
1 Kerber (WC)
Qualifier
Oudin
An. Rodionova
Cepelova
Bertens
McHale
7 Rybarikova
3 Makarova
Bouchard
Garcia
Tatishvili
Townsend (WC)
Niculescu
Qualifier
8 Keys
5 Cirstea
Tsurenko
King
Riske
Qualifier
Watson
Wickmayer
4 Cornet
6 Barthel
Voegele
Qualifier
Petkovic
Ormaechea
Capra (WC)
Puchkova
2 Stephens
TUESDAY
Carlsbad
Singles – First Round
(8) Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP) d. (Q) Sachie Ishizu (JPN) 64 63
Laura Robson (GBR) d. Ayumi Morita (JPN) 46 75 62
Urszula Radwanska (POL) d. (Q) Marina Erakovic (NZL) 76(3) 64
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) d. Tamira Paszek (AUT) 60 60
(Q) Sesil Karatantcheva (KAZ) d. Julia Goerges (GER) 63 75
(Q) Coco Vandeweghe (USA) d. (WC) Allie Kiick (USA) 61 62
Doubles – First Round
(2) Huber/Llagostera Vives (USA/ESP) d. Grandin/Rosolska (RSA/POL) 57 63 1311 (Match TB)
(4) Jankovic/Srebotnik (SRB/SLO) d. Muhammad/Will (USA/USA) 62 62
Black/Erakovic (ZIM/NZL) d. Cibulkova/Lepchenko (SVK/USA) 75 62
Mirza/Pennetta (IND/ITA) d. Marosi/Moulton-Levy (HUN/USA) 61 62
Washington DC
Singles – First Round
Singles – First Round
(1/WC) Angelique Kerber (GER) d. (Q) Irina Falconi (USA) 62 63
(3) Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) d. Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) 64 62
(4) Alizé Cornet (FRA) d. Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 61 63
(5) Sorana Cirstea (ROU) d. Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) 75 11 ret. (right thigh injury)
(6) Mona Barthel (GER) d. Stefanie Voegele (SUI) 62 62
(8) Madison Keys (USA) d. (Q) Michelle Larcher de Brito (POR) 75 63
Monica Niculescu (ROU) d. (WC) Taylor Townsend (USA) 63 60
Heather Watson (GBR) d. (Q) Alexandra Mueller (USA) 67(5) 64 63
Caroline Garcia (FRA) d. Anna Tatishvili (GEO) 06 76(5) 64
Alison Riske (USA) d. Vania King (USA) 63 75
Doubles – First Round
(4) Castaño/Pegula (COL/USA) d. Irigoyen/Ormaechea (ARG/ARG) 63 36 107 (Match TB)
Garcia/McHale (FRA/USA) d. Cepelova/Puchkova (SVK/RUS) 61 75