#1 seed is gone….Azarenka looks to be in form.
by bahamaderek on Mar.13, 2010, under Svetlana Kuznetsova, Victoria Azarenka
Top-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova tumbled out of the Indian Wells hardcourt tennis tournament Saturday, falling to unseeded Spaniard Carla Suarez-Navarro.
Suarez-Navarro beat the error-prone Russian 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, handing Kuznetsova her second second-round exit in as many years in the California desert.
Kuznetsova, the French Open champion who has struggled to get her 2010 season rolling, had 60 unforced errors in the match lasting 1hr 56min.
After breaking Suarez-Navarro in the final game of the second set to keep the match alive, Kuznetsova then dropped her serve in the opening game of the third.
Suarez-Navarro broke again for a 4-1 lead and saved a break point in the next game as she took a 5-1 lead.
When Kuznetsova dumped a forehand into the net on the first point of the next game, she slammed her racquet to the ground in frustration.
Victoria Azarenka is looking to go one-better this year at the BNP Paribas Open following a semi-final finish in 2009, and opened with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Austrian Sybille Bammer in second-round action Saturday morning.
The World No. 6 posted her fourth straight win over Bammer, an Indian Wells semi-finalist in 2007, winning 72 points behind her serve and capitalizing on
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British tennis gets a glimmer of hope!
by bahamaderek on Mar.13, 2010, under Elena Baltacha, Li Na
Just as British tennis had sunk to an all time low after the Davis Cup defeat by Lithuania, and the questions surrounding their pride and joy Andy Murray, along comes Elena Baltacha. She is through to the third round of the BNP Paribas Open after an impressive victory against seventh seed Li Na of China.
Baltacha is the first British woman to beat a top 10 player since Sam Smith beat Conchita Martinez – then ranked seventh and seeded eighth – in the third round of Wimbledon in 1998.
The qualifier won 7-6 (10-8) 2-6 7-6 (9-7) in a marathon match that last almost three hours in Indian Wells.
She fought back from 5-1 down in the third set tiebreaker to seal her first win over a top-10 ranked player.
Baltacha next plays Aussie wildcard Alicia Molik, who beat Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-4 5-7 7-6 (5-3).
“As the tiebreak started, she just came out with unbelievable stuff,” said the elated British number one afterwards.
“I think she hit four backhand winners down the line. I thought, ‘OK, yeah, that’s why you’re top 10. I understand.’
“But then at 5-1, I went into the zone and I felt really strong and I just fought my heart out,” added the 26-year-old,
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Sharapova an unimpressive winner at Indian Wells.
by bahamaderek on Mar.13, 2010, under 2010 Indian Wells, Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova beat compatriot Vera Dushevina to progress to the third round at the Indian Wells $4.5 million BNP Paribas Open tennis event.
The former world number one, who won the event in 2006, came back from a set down to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.
Sharapova, seeded tenth, will face China’s Zheng Jie, seeded 18, in the next round.
In a desperate move to ‘popularise’ tennis, the Sony Ericsson Open Miami has announced a special doubles tennis exhibition for Tuesday, March 23. The match titled “Glam.Set.Match” will pair Novak Djokovic with Spice girl Mel B against Maria Sharapova and musician Jay Sean.
Jay Sean said, “I don’t think you can do better than Maria Sharapova – to be honest, I think I’m going to let her do the majority of the work and I’ll just watch from the back! This is such a different vibe from what I normally do, its going to be great fun!”
Maybe with ridiculous ideas such as this it is a good omen that Sony Ericsson is going to take a back seat in the future of the WTA. Can you imagine Roger Federer agreeing to play tennis with Whitney Housten?
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Gisela Dulko sends Justine Henin home with a 3 set win!
by bahamaderek on Mar.12, 2010, under 2010 Indian Wells, Gisela Dulko, Justine Henin
Justine Henin, even though she entered the Indian Wells tournamnet as a wildcard entry, was considered to be one of the favourites to win the event. But she ran into a determined Gisela Dulko who took advantage of a sub- standard performance by the former #1 player, by defeating her 6-2, 1-6, 6-4.
“It was a tough day today, I agree,” said Henin. “I was never into a good rhythm and never really found my way to win. Even in the second set it was better, but still a lot of ups and downs. She (Dulko) was playing quite high balls, also, and I never really found a good timing. So I wasn’t consistent enough. That’s very simple. It’s a bit of an off day and you have to deal with it.”
This result will go down in the records as one of the greatest upsets in Womens tennis, and will rank as Dulko’s finest win to date. It also reflects the unpredictability of Womens tennis, and most likely will not be the only upset of this event.
British fans have reason to cheer as Elena Baltacha defeated #10 ranked player Li Na in three sets 7-6, 2-6, 7-6. Baltacha, entered as a qualifyer, came for 1-5 down in the third set tie breaker to win the match.
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Wozniacki struggles past Vania King.
by bahamaderek on Mar.12, 2010, under Caroline Wozniacki, Elena Dementieva, Vania King
Second-seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki clawed her way into the third round of the WTA hardcourt tournament here Friday with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 victory over American Vania King.
Wozniacki, ranked fourth in the world and a finalist at last year’s US Open, trailed 1-4 in the third set but managed to fight back against the 76th-ranked King with breaks in the seventh and ninth games.
“I just kept fighting for every point,” Wozniacki said after the victory in 2hrs 28min. “Vania was playing really, really good. I’m just glad I came through.”
Like all 32 seeded players, 19-year-old Wozniacki enjoyed a first-round bye.
In the third round she’ll face either 32nd-seeded Maria Kirilenko of Russia or unseeded Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano.
Russian Elena Dementieva, the No. 5 seed and 2006 finalist, was also extended to three sets in her opener Friday but capped the match with a display of dominance. She limited Belarusian Olga Govortsova to just two points on serve in the third set as she sealed a 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 victory.
Fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland had an easier time to start her 2010 BNP Paribas Open campaign, hodling a 6-2, 5-3 lead against Russian Anna Chakvedtadze when
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Watch and donate to ‘Hit for Haiti’ tonight.
by bahamaderek on Mar.12, 2010, under 2010 Indian Wells
The BNP Paribas Open “Hit for Haiti” exhibition, presented by Oracle, on Friday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m. PST, will feature players with an astounding total of 94 Grand Slam singles titles. The first match will include Stefanie Graf and Lindsay Davenport playing Martina Navratilova and Justine Henin, and the second match will include Pete Sampras and Roger Federer playing Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal.
To donate text “HAITI” to 90999 and a $10 donation will be added to your phone bill.
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16 year old Sloane Stephens wins, but Oudin loses!
by bahamaderek on Mar.12, 2010, under Melanie Oudin, Sloane Stephens
American teenager Sloane Stephens won her first match at WTA Tour level at the tender age of 16 as she beat Lucie Hradecka to advance to the second round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
Stephens had to fight for it but eventually beat the Czech 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (9-7) to go through.
But hers was a rare American success as Shenay Perry and Melanie Oudin made quick exits,
Perry lost 6-2 4-6 6-3 to Karolina Sprem, while Oudin went down 3-6 6-3 6-0 to Italian Roberta Vinci.
Also advancing were Carla Suarez Navarro, Yung-Jan Chan, Tsvetana Pironkova, Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, Petra Kvitova, Sara Errani, Petra Martic, Sybille Bammer, Alexandra Dulghera, Julia Goerges, Anastasija Sevastova and Julie Coin.
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