Carlsbad
Victoria Azarenka turned 24th by beating fellow grand slam winner Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 6-3. The two-time Australian Open winner who rolled an ankle eat Wimbledon and did not play her second-round match said she felt pleased to be back on court. “Going on court and competing was such a joy,” said the winner of 16 career WTA titles who went through grueling rehab to get her damaged ankle right. “I was excited to play, I’ve never quite felt like that before a match. “I really wanted to go out there and compete.”
Azarenka has now won four out of five matches against Italy’s Schiavone, with the Belarus player who made a transfer from Arizona to LA during her injury time off last appearing at the venue in 2007.
2011 Wimbledon titleholder Petra Kvitova made a winning start by putting out teenaged top Brit Laura Robson 6-1, 6-2 in an hour and a quarter with 11 aces. Italian fourth seed Roberta Vinci beat American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-4, 6-2 at La Costa.
Serb Ana Ivanovic, seeded seventh, closed out the first round as she beat Slovak holder Dominika Cibulkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. Ivanovic is going it alone after a long post-Wimbledon pause and a split with longtime British coach Nigel Sears.
She said she didn’t pick up a racquet for a fortnight after her second-round Wimbledon upset loss to Canadian teenager Eugenie Bouchard, and spent some time with her family on a Spanish beach holiday.
Ivanocic is back to work with a new all-Serbian team comprising a full-time fitness coach, physio and a sparing partner who also helps her plot match strategy.
“I needed a change, we both did,” she said of the amicable split.
“It’s just about hearing a new voice. There was a lot of repetition in the relationship and I didn’t feel like I was progressing in my game.”
In doubles, Martina Hingis began a comeback at age 32, combining with Daniela Hantuchova for an opening win over German Julia Goerges and Darija Jurak of Croatia. Five-time grand slam winner Hingis is due to play through the US Open to see how her game stands up to current doubles competition.
Washington DC
Only one match was completed due to rainy weather. In the all-German affair, Andrea Petkovic beat compatriot and sixth seed Mona Barthel 6-2, 6-2. The tournament is now a minimum of seven matches behind schedule.
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
WEDNESDAY
Carlsbad
Singles – Second Round
(1) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) d. Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 62 63
(3) Petra Kvitova (CZE) d. Laura Robson (GBR) 61 62
(4) Roberta Vinci (ITA) d. Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) 64 62
(5/WC) Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. (Q) Sesil Karatantcheva (KAZ) 64 61
Singles – First Round
(7) Ana Ivanovic (SRB) d. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 46 63 62
Doubles – First Round
(3) Kops-Jones/Spears (USA/USA) d. Raymond/Robson (USA/GBR) 64 63
(WC) Hantuchova/Hingis (SVK/SUI) d. Goerges/Jurak (GER/CRO) 61 61
Washington DC
Singles – Second Round
Andrea Petkovic (GER) d. (6) Mona Barthel (GER) 62 62
Suspended due to rain
Paula Ormaechea (ARG) leads Olga Puchkova (RUS) 36 63 21
Doubles – First Round
(2) Falconi/Hrdinova (USA/CZE) d. Cirstea/Wickmayer (ROU/BEL) 63 62
(3) Tatishvili/Watson (GEO/GBR) d. Barthel/Cornet (GER/FRA) 64 64