TENNIS in DEPTH.

Francesca Schiavone was an early casualty in the Rome Masters today after losing her opening round match to Ekaterina Makarova. The out-of-form Schiavone, the 10th seed here and 2010 French Open champion, was beaten 6-3 6-4 by her Russian opponent as she slumped to a 10th defeat in her last 12 matches.

Number 12 Angelique Kerber of Germany was also made to battle hard before she progressed through to the second round with a 4-6 7-5 6-2 win Australian qualifier Anastasia Rodionova. ”It was very tough conditions because some of the court had shadows, some was sunny, and it was windy,” Kerber said on www.wtatennis.com. “And Anastasia played very well – I was just thinking to fight and play point by point, and I’m very happy I won.”

Serbian Ana Ivanovic, the 13th seed, had no such concerns though in her 6-4 6-3 win over Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova in a battle between two other former Roland Garros winners. Other players making it through their opening matches today were Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Julia Goerges, Anabel Medina Garrigues, Christina McHale, Chanelle Scheepers, Iveta Benesova, Shahar Peer, Vania King and Sofia Arvidsson.

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Ana slipped to a 7-5, 7-6(4) defeat to Germany’s Mona Barthel in the first round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. Ana led 5-3, 30-0 and had two set points in the opening set, but was unable to convert them.

Unusually for a WTA match taking place on clay, there were no breaks of serve in the second set, although Ana again failed to take her opportunities, as she earned three break points that went unconverted. To her credit, Barthel served brilliantly, smacking down 11 aces during the one hour, 43-minute match. In losing this match Ana, who only arrived in Stuttgart on Monday afternoon following the weekend’s Fed Cup tie in Moscow, suffered only her third opening round loss since she began working with coach Nigel Sears.

Maria Sharapova was a quick-fire winner in the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart when French opponent Alize Cornet retired just 50 minutes into their second-round match. Sharapova, seeded two, had won the first set 6-3 and taken the opening game of the second before Cornet signalled she could not continue due to a shoulder injury, handing the Russian a place in the last eight.

Also in the second round, in-form fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska advanced with a 6-3 6-4 win over qualifier Greta Arn, of Hungary, breaking her opponent four times in their 78-minute match. Former world number one Jelena Jankovic (back) was another retirement, pulling out when trailing 6-3 1-0 to sixth seed Caroline Wozniacki in their first-round contest.

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Ana has arrived in Moscow ahead of the Russia versus Serbia Fed Cup semi-final, which begins on Saturday. The draw for the two-day event takes place on Friday afternoon, although it is known that, if selected, Ana will be the No.1 seed for the visitors. World No.18 Jelena Jankovic is expected to be named as the No.2 seed, while Serbian No.3 Bojana Jovanovski, ranked 96th, and 19-year-old Alexandra Krunic complete the line-up. The Russian team comprises of world No.21 Maria Kirilenko, No.22 Anastasia Pavluychenkova, No.27 Svetlana Kuznetsova and No.78 Elena Vesnina.

“Being in Belgrade this week, I really felt the excitement before this Fed Cup tie. It’s an honour to be part of this historic moment for our country,” said Ana, referencing the fact that Serbia has never before competed in a Fed Cup semi-final. I think that the two teams are quite evenly matched, but of course Russia have a lot more experience than us. It’s our job to ensure that they can’t use that advantage.”

Russia has won the Fed Cup four times in the last eight years, virtually dominating the team event, and they also boast a 3-0 head-to-head record against Serbia. “We’re looking for some revenge after the last time we played Russia,” said Ana, referencing the 3-2 defeat in Belgrade two years ago. Defending champions the Czech Republic take on Italy in the other semi-final. The final takes place during 3-4 November.

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Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka lost 10 of the first 11 games, then rallied to remain unbeaten this year by overcoming Dominika Cibulkova 1-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5 Monday in the fourth round of the Sony Ericsson Open. Azarenka won her 26th consecutive match, a streak that began at the start of this year. Her start is the best on the women’s tour since Martina Hingis went 37-0 to begin 1997. In the second set, Azarenka fell behind 4-love. She found herself two points from defeat five times but swept the last three games and converted the first match point when Cibulkova sailed a passing shot long. Azarenka has won her four previous tournaments this year, including the Australian Open for her first Grand Slam title. She seeks her third Key Biscayne title.

Serena Williams matched a career high with 20 aces to beat Samantha Stosur 7-5, 6-3 and advance to the quarterfinals. “My serve was hot,” Williams said. “I was like, `That’s pretty cool.”’ Williams avenged a loss to Stosur when they last met in the U.S. Open final in September. “That wasn’t in my mind,” Williams said. “I just thought, `This is a new game.”’

Venus Williams rallied from a set down to defeat Ana Ivanovic, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-2, and roar into the Sony Ericsson Open quarterfinals for the 10th time.

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The No.15-seeded Ivanovic was the first to win, racing through the first set then sneaking a 68-minute second set to get by No.20 seed Daniela Hantuchova, 62 76(2). With a handful of errors from her opponent Ivanovic built a 6-2 lead in the breaker, then fired a forehand winner on her very first match point. ”Daniela and I have played a lot of times in the past. Even in practice it’s always tight,” Ivanovic said. “I played really well in the first set. I think I started to rush a little more in the second – I started wanting to close out the match and wanted to rush and rush. I was focused more on the end than staying in the moment. But I’m really happy I managed to keep composed and then win the tie-breaker. ”It was a very, very important win for me today.” Ivanovic and Hantuchova were wearing the same adidas tennis dress on the court. “It’s pretty funny – we were joking, at least one was blonde and one was brunette. It would be a problem if I played Sorana,” Ivanovic said. “But seriously, it is a little bit strange. You look up and see yourself. It’s like, ‘Is that a mirror?’” Ivanovic is going to pass Jelena Jankovic on the next rankings, her first time being the Serbian No.1 since the 2008 US Open fortnight (during those two weeks, Ivanovic was ranked No.1 in the world and Jankovic was No.2). Next up for Ivanovic is Venus Williams, who saved match point to win earlier in the day. Williams has won seven of eight meetings against Ivanovic, but they are a much closer 1-1 when playing on outdoor hardcourts.

Six minutes after Ivanovic’s win, No.5 seed Agnieszka Radwanska completed a 66-minute, 61 62 rout of Sílvia Soler-Espinosa, winning almost twice as many points as the tenacious Spaniard during the match (58 to 30). Later at night, top-ranked, top-seeded defending champion Victoria Azarenka improved to 25-0 on the season with a 60 62 rout of Heather Watson. Azarenka won the first nine games to go up 60 30; Watson started closing in towards the end, winning two of the last five games, but it was just too late for the Brit.

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Victoria Azarenka extended her winning streak at the start of 2012 to 22 matches as she beat 18th seed Angelique Kerber 6-4 6-3 at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Azarenka’s run is the best start to a season in the women’s game since Martina Hingis won her first 37 games in 1997. Azarenka, though, was generous in her praise for her German opponent. ”I’m really impressed by the way Angelique was playing,” Azarenka told the WTA’s official website. ”It was the first time we played on the pro tour, so it was a little bit new for me, and she showed some excellent tennis. ”I think she’s a great player and she really pushed me to raise my level and really dig to win that match.”

Azarenka will face second seed Maria Sharapova, who was 6-4 0-1 up when opponent Ana Ivanovic was forced to withdraw with what was later confirmed as a left hip injury. Trailing 5-4, Ivanovic took a break nearly eight minutes in length for, at the time, unknown reasons. But anyone who thought this could turn into another three-hour match for Sharapova was sorely mistaken just two games later, after the Russian served out the opening set. A hip injury had affected Ivanovic, so much so that her coach, Nigel Sears, all but told her to let this one go. The Serb soldiered out for one more game, which she won, but the pain was too much to bear; a short session with the trainer confirmed the inevitable. Ivanovic told Sharapova it was over, and it’s still more than four years since the two have played a completed match.

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Three-time grand slam winner Sharapova, the second seed, battled to a 3-6 7-5 6-2 win over Maria Kirilenko in the women’s quarter-finals of the joint WTA and ATP event in California. Sharapova will face Ivanovic, who eased past a stricken Marion Bartoli 6-3 6-4 in a rematch of their 2011 quarter-final. Sharapova had cruised through her first three matches without dropping a set but quickly ran into trouble against Kirilenko, who had won eight of her previous nine three-set matches this year. “I tried to keep my head up today even though I wasn’t playing my best,” said Sharapova, the 2006 champion. “Towards the end, I started to play better and move better.” Sharapova needed three hours and five minutes to dispatch Kirilenko in the first meeting between the two since the opening round of the 2010 Australian Open. Kirilenko is getting a reputation as the WTA Tour’s ironwoman. This was her third straight three-setter and the second time in the tournament she played a match lasting more than three hours. But despite breaking the former world No.1 twice in winning the opening set in 43 minutes, Kirilenko was unable to conquer her more-fancied countrywoman.

Ivanovic was delighted to avenge her semi-final loss last year to Bartoli with a straight-sets victory this time around. “It was a tough match. I served well,” the Serb said. “We both started well but the eighth game of the second set was important. I just tried to stay low and make her run.” Bartoli was trailing 2-1 in the second set when she asked for the doctor to come out onto the court. She was in discomfort for the remainder of the match, bending over and grabbing her stomach between serves. Several players pulled out or retired from matches in Indian Wells complaining of a stomach virus. “When I went on the court, I was very dizzy and it was very hard for me to catch my breath,” Bartoli said. “I started to not feel well since last night. When I woke up this morning, I knew I was not in great shape. But I gave it a try on the court. “The more the match was going on, the worse it was getting for me and I was feeling extremely dizzy on the court and I don’t see very clearly. I got the virus that a lot of players got here.”

Ivanovic has made it to at least the Indian Wells quarter-finals on five occasions, winning the title four years ago. Bartoli’s exit means last year’s winner Caroline Wozniacki and runner-up are out of the women’s draw.

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The 15th-seeded Serb, who had eliminated defending champion Caroline Wozniacki in the previous round, maintained her excellent form at the event she won back in 2008 with a strong all-round display. Ivanovic broke Bartoli, who was runner-up last year to Wozniacki, three times before wrapping up the win in 77 minutes when her opponent pushed a forehand service return wide.

“I’m definitely very happy to be through and get my revenge for last year in the quarters,” a smiling Ivanovic, who was beaten by Bartoli in straight-sets at the same stage 12 months ago, said in a courtside interview. ”It was a tough match but I served well. When I broke her (leading 4-3) in the first set, I think that was the turning point.”

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