Women Tennis Update – Miami Sunday, March 24, 2013

Written by: Staff on 23rd March 2013

Brisbane International tennis tournament

Women Tennis Update - Miami Sunday, March 24, 2013

epa03522919 Serena Williams of the USA serves to Sloane Stephens of the USA during their quarter final match at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, 03 January 2013. Williams defeated Stephens 6-4, 6-3. EPA/DAVE HUNT AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT |

Miami

SATURDAY MATCHS

Singles – Third Round: (1) Serena Williams def. Ayumi Morita 6-3 6-3

Serena had real trouble getting started here, losing the first three games. She also seemed to slack off a bit at the beginning of the second set. But there wasn’t much to say after that, except that she needs one more win to clinch the #1 ranking.

Singles – Third Round: (4) Agnieszka Radwanska def. Magdalena Rybarikova 7-6(7-5) 2-6 6-3

If Agnieszka Radwanska manages to defend her title here, she will certainly have done it the hard way! She leaves Magdalena Rybarikova around #45.

Singles – Third Round: (5) Li Na def. (25) Varvara Lepchenko 6-2 6-4

Varvara Lepchenko should stay Top Thirty, but this costs her her Top 25 chance.

Singles – Third Round: (30) Kirsten Flipkens def. (7) Petra Kvitova 6-0 4-6 6-1

Petra Kvitova is a tall woman, but it seemed as if it was little Kirsten Flipkens who was suffering from the temperatures; they took a heat break after the second set, and it was Flipkens who came back recharged after that. She now looks certain to hit the Top 25; Kvitova will have to settle for #8.

Singles – Third Round: Garbine Muguruza def. (9) Caroline Wozniacki 6-2 6-4

We already told you that Garbine Muguruza was on fire, but we didn’t think the blowtorch was set this high! Caroline Wozniacki was defending semifinalist points, so this will drop her to no better than #10, and there is a faint chance it will be lower.

Singles – Third Round: (13) Dominika Cibulkova def. Romina Oprandi 6-3 6-4

One more win and Dominika Cibulkova will overtake Marion Bartoli, which would give her (probably) the #13 ranking. Romina Oprandi will be a little below #50.

Singles – Third Round: (16) Sloane Stephens def. (19) Venus Williams walkover (back)

Venus, it seems, paid a high price for her tough win over Kimiko Date-Krumm. Throw in high heat and you get this. It will drop Venus out of the Top Twenty.

Singles – Third Round: Ajla Tomljanovic def. Andrea Petkovic 0-6 6-4 7-6(7-1)

A depressing end for a match that started so well for Andrea Petkovic…. She will probably rise above #150, but just barely.

Doubles – First Round: (1) Errani/Vinci def. Date-Krumm/Dellacqua 6-7(5-7) 6-2 11-9

Doubles – First Round: Kuznetsova/Pennetta def. (2) Hlavackova/Hradecka 7-5 6-4

A tough, tough draw for Hlavackova/Hradecka — Kuznetsova is a multi-Slam winner in doubles and Pennetta a past #1 — but still, the pair are really struggling. They won’t be the #2 seeds at many more tournaments if they can’t get things straightened out…

Doubles – First Round: (3) Petrova/Srebotnik def. H. Chan/Husarova 6-2 6-1

…especially with Petrova/Srebotnik playing so well.

Doubles – First Round: (5) Huber/Martinez Sanchez def. Mladenovic/Voskoboeva 7-6(7-2) 6-7(5-7) 10-4

Doubles – First Round: (7) Mattek-Sands/Mirza def. Birnerova/Lepchenko 7-5 6-3

Doubles – First Round: Gajdosova/Lisicki def. Black/Rodionova 5-7 6-4 12-10

That’s the first really bad result of Cara Black’s comeback. Which we should perhaps regard as more promising than otherwise.

Doubles – First Round: Moulton-Levy/Zhang def. Dushevina/Parra Santonja 6-3 6-2

Doubles – First Round: Pavlyuchenkova/Safarova def. Muguruza/Schiavone 7-6(7-5) 7-5

FRIDAY MATCHES

Post-Rain Results

Singles – Second Round: (3) Maria Sharapova def. Eugenie Bouchard 6-2 6-0

This makes it official: Maria Sharapova will keep the #2 ranking, with Victoria Azarenka still stuck at #3.

Singles – Second Round: (8) Sara Errani def. Daniela Hantuchova 6-3 6-1

Daniela Hantuchova made the third round last year, so she will be falling below #70.

Singles – Second Round: (12) Ana Ivanovic def. Urszula Radwanska 6-2 6-1

Urszula Radwanska will stay a little below the Top Thirty. Probably #32.

Singles – Second Round: (14) Maria Kirilenko def. Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-1 6-4

Maria Kirilenko was up 3-0 in the second set when the rain came. Bethanie Mattek-Sands obviously was more of a threat after that, but it was simply too late.

Singles – Second Round: (22) Jelena Jankovic def. Victoria Duval 6-3 7-5

Jelena Jankovic is already adding points; we’d say she has clinched her Top 25 spot.

Singles – Second Round: Simona Halep def. (26) Tamira Paszek 6-1 6-7(4-7) 7-5

Tamira Paszek loses her shot at a return to the Top Thirty; she will likely be #31.

Singles – Second Round: (32) Alize Cornet def. Laura Robson 5-7 7-5 6-1

Alize Cornet is up to probably #33; she leaves Laura Robson below the Top Forty.

Doubles – First Round: (4) Makarova/Vesnina def. Grandin/Uhlirova 6-7(5-7) 6-3 10-6

The rain forced postponement of most of the doubles schedule, but this was already started, so they let it finish. Small consolation for Ekaterina Makarova after her singles loss, but presumably better than nothing.

Pre-Rain Results (already sent)

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: Agnieszka Radwanska, Ayumi Morita, Miami, Serena Williams, sony open tennis, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News