Maria held serve only once during the match. Service troubles, most noticably double faults, have been plaguing Maria for almost two years, ever since she altered her service motion to avoid right shoulder injuries.
Vika scored on 8 of the 16 break points she reached against Maria; Maria converted 4 of 7 break points she held against Vika. Victoria scored 79 points in the match; Maria, 63.
and Vika won their previous meeting, on a Deco-Turf hardcourt in last year's Stanford final, 6-4, 6-1.
is now 6-6 in WTA singles finals. She won her first three titles in 2009; in 2010 she defeated Maria Sharapova in the Stanford final, and Maria Kirilenko in the Moscow final. Vika has a 15-5 singles match record in 2011.
is now 22-12 in WTA singles finals. Due to right shoulder rotator cuff tendon tears, Maria played only one match (a doubles match) between August, 2008, and May, 2009. In 2010, Maria incurred a right elbow bone bruise at Indian Wells in March, and that kept her sidelined until May. This year, respiratory illness caused Maria to withdraw from three tournaments in February. Despite the setbacks, Maria has a 14-5 match record this season, and is 9-2 in her last 11 matches, losing only to Victoria and #1 Caroline Wozniacki.
WTA SCOREBOARD: The Sony Ericsson Open at Key Biscayne (Miami)
Sony Ericsson Open, Miami, Florida
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NWS weather radar
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tourney time: = GMT -4 hours
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Miami news
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Miami: The main draw for this 96-player, two week, seven round tourney has 32 seeds, with 32 1st-round byes. There are 12 qualifiers and 8 wild cards in the main draw. Qualifying (2 rounds) is on Monday & Tuesday. Main draw play begins on Tuesday, at 10am on the outer courts, 11am on the Stadium and Grandstand courts.
2011: Young ladies playing Meet the Press on Tuesday, March 22, included 2011 Indian Wells champ Caroline Wozniacki, Vera Zvonareva (trying to recall
the last time she had this much fun answering the nice questions from the friendly reporters... oh yeah—at the Indian Wells press access hour), Na Li,
2009 Miami champ Victoria Azarenka (signing autographs), 2010 Miami champ Kim Clijsters, '08 Miami finalist Jelena Jankovic, and Francesca Schiavone
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2011: Oncourt on Tuesday at Key Biscayne, longtime blonde Jelena Dokic, now brunette, won her qualy final... off campus, Vania King made friends at the Miami Seaquarium...Darned good looking healthy young ladies at the player party on Tuesday night included Caro Wozniacki, '98, '99 & 2001 Miami champ Venus Williams, Jelena Jankovic,
row 2: Vika Azarenka, Maria Sharapova, 2004 French Open champ (now Russki TV commentator) Anastasia Myskina, 2006 Miami champ Svetlana Kuznetsova, retired former WTA #15 Elena Likhovtseva, former WTA #8 (and 1998 Miami finalist) Anna Kournikova, & Melanie Oudin...
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2011: Agnieszka Radwanska signed autographs for fans on Thursday, March 24, while Tsvetana Pironkova and Jarmila Groth did the "hold the snake" thing with a 12 foot yellow python at the Miami Metro Zoo... On Friday night, Caroline Wozniacki and 2002, '03, '04, '07 & '08 Miami champ Serena Williams (unable to play due to injury and illness) got together to watch the NBA Miami Heat play the Sixers (this "Twitter pic" was kindly posted by Serena herself)
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Miami, 1st Rd, Tue-Wed 10am & 11am
loser's prize: $7,050; points: 5
*#84 Melanie Oudin USA d #35 Julia Goerges GER 7-5, 6-3 Tue
Melanie and Julia serving
#36 Shuai Peng CHN d #53 Greta Arn HUN 6-1, 6-2 Wed
*#48 Iveta Benesova CZE d #37 Roberta Vinci ITA 7-5, 6-4 Tue
#39 Patty Schnyder SUI d #480 wc Madison Keys USA 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(2) Tue
*#42 Yaroslava Shvedova KAZ d #40 Sara Errani ITA 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(5) Wed
Sara and Yaroslava driving forehands
#41 Ekaterina Makarova RUS d #51 Vera Dushevina RUS 6-2, 6-2 Tue
#43 Bethanie Mattek-Sands USA d #82 Sofia Arvidsson SWE 6-1, 6-4 Wed
#44 Agnes Szavay HUN v #76 q Shuai Zhang CHN Wed c7 m3
#45 Jie Zheng CHN d #91 wc Sorana Cirstea ROU 6-3, 6(5)-7, 6-3 Tue
Jie serving, and Sorana and Jie driving forehands
#46 Timea Bacsinszky SUI d #117 q Vesna Manasieva RUS 6-3, 6-2 Wed
*#58 Elena Vesnina RUS d #47 Gisela Dulko ARG 6-1, 6-3 Wed
Gisela serving, and Elena driving a forehand
#50 Lourdes Dominguez Lino ESP d #110 q Arantxa Rus NED 6-4, 6(7)-7, 6-4 Wed
*#65 Monica Niculescu ROU d #52 Bojana Jovanovski SRB 6-1, 7-6(2) Tue
#54 Ayumi Morita JPN d #132 wc Heather Watson USA 7-5, 6-2 Tue
#56 Kimiko Date-Krumm JPN d #87 Zuzana Ondraskova CZE 6-4, 6-3 Wed
#57 Barbora Zahlavova Strycova CZE d #192 q Sloane Stephens USA 6-4, 6-2 Wed
*#81 Chanelle Scheepers RSA d #59 Polona Hercog SLO 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 Wed
Chanelle driving a backhand
*#107 q Sania Mirza IND d #60 Arantxa Parra Santonja ESP 6-2, 6-4 Wed
*#108 wc Dinara Safina RUS d #61 q Jelena Dokic AUS 6-4, 6-4 Wed
Jelena and Dinara driving forehands
#64 Simona Halep ROU d #172 sr75 Urszula Radwanska POL 6-3, 6-2 Tue
#67 Angelique Kerber GER d #101 Edina Gallovits-Hall ROU 6-4, 6-4 Wed
#69 Johanna Larsson SWE d #72 Anastasia Rodionova AUS 6-4, 7-6(3) Tue
*#93 Virginie Razzano FRA d #70 Alize Cornet FRA 6-3, 6-1 Wed
Alize about to slice a backhand, and Virginie driving one
*#118 q Anastasia Yakimova BLR d #71 Alla Kudryavtseva RUS 6-3, 6-1 Wed
#74 Elena Baltacha GBR d #105 Sybille Bammer AUT 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(5) Tue
Elena driving a backhand, and Sybille serving
#77 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP d #85 q Ksenia Pervak RUS 6-1, 6-2 Wed
#78 Varvara Lepchenko USA d #92 wc Coco Vandeweghe USA 6-2, 6-3 Wed
*#95 Petra Martic CRO d #79 Kristina Barrois GER 7-5, 6-2 Tue
*#127 q Anna Tatishvili GEO d #80 Olga Govortsova BLR 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 Wed
#86 q Lucie Hradecka CZE d #120 q Yung-Jan Chan TPE 7-5, 7-5 Wed
#127 q Jamie Hampton USA d #190 wc Ajla Tomljanovic SRB 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 Wed
#218 wc Sabine Lisicki GER d #459 sr Melinda Czink HUN 6-5, 5-7, 6-4 Tue
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Miami, 2nd Rd, Thu-Fri 10am & 11am Thu WTA story
loser's prize: $11,500; points: 50
#1 s1 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d #43 Bethanie Mattek-Sands USA 6-2, 7-5 Thu
Caroline about to fire a forehand
Caroline said: "I was trying to play my first shot or two deep and not let her attack. It was pretty tough though because she just went for it. You never know what to expect from her—she goes for her shots no matter where she's standing on the court. It's difficult to get a rhythm. I just had to fight."
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#2 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL d #118 q Anastasia Yakimova BLR 6-1, 6-1 Fri
Anastasia volleying a backhand, and Kim driving one
Anastasia had just won a $100,000 ITF Circuit event in Nassau. Kim said: "I knew she had a good result last week in the Bahamas. I just focused on my own game, tried to be aggressive and find my footwork again. I took a few days off after Indian Wells [due to a right shoulder injury] and needed time to get back into it...
" [The shoulder is] not fully healed, but it's healing. To me that's the biggest relief. After Indian Wells I was worried but now I'm able to do almost everything I want out there, which was definitely not the case last week." WTA story
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#3 s3 Vera Zvonareva RUS d #108 wc Dinara Safina RUS 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 Fri
Dinara driving a backhand, and Vera fielding a forehand
#4 s4 Samantha Stosur AUS d #45 Jie Zheng CHN 6-2, 6-1 Thu
Jie looking to slice a backhand, and Samantha driving a forehand
Samantha said: "I played quite well. I don't think I hit the ball out of this world fantastic, but I did what I had to do. Against a player like Zheng, you want to be able to do that from start to finish. She competes hard for every single point."
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#5 s5 Francesca Schiavone ITA d #67 Angelique Kerber GER 6-4, 6-4 Fri
Francesca driving a forehand
#6 s6 Jelena Jankovic SRB d #65 Monica Niculescu ROU 6-3, 6-1 Thu
Jelena driving a forehand, Monica about to swat one, and Jelena's backhand drive
*#69 Johanna Larsson SWE d #7 s7 Na Li CHN 7-5, 6(5)-7, 7-6(5) Thu
Johanna reaching for a backhand volley
Johanna said: "It's definitely the biggest win of my career. I got really nervous and messed it up a little bit, but I kept fighting and running, and somehow I was the winner in the end. The match is never over until the last point and I just tried to stay positive. I knew if I kept my level up there was always a chance." WTA story
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#9 s8 Victoria Azarenka BLR d #86 q Lucie Hradecka CZE 7-5, 4-6, 6-0 Fri
#10 s9 Agnieszka Radwanska POL d #57 Barbora Zahlavova Strycova CZE 6-1, 6-0 Fri
Barbora and Agnieszka driving backhands
*#77 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP d #12 s10 Shahar Peer ISR 6-2, 6-2 Thu
Shahar and Anabel driving backhands
#13 s11 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS d #64 Simona Halep ROU 6-0, 6-4 Thu
Svetlana driving a forehand, and Simona about to swat one
#14 s12 Petra Kvitova CZE d #78 Varvara Lepchenko USA 6-1, 6-2 Fri
*#48 Iveta Benesova CZE d #15 s13 Flavia Pennetta ITA 6-3, 6-0 Thu
Flavia and Iveta driving forehand and backhand
*#93 Virginie Razzano FRA d #16 s14 Kaia Kanepi EST 6-3, 7-6(5) Fri
#17 s15 Marion Bartoli FRA d #54 Ayumi Morita JPN 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 Fri
2-handed forehands: Ayumi's Pancho Segura approved method, and Marion's "Reverse Polish Notation" style (left hand above right)
#18 s16 Maria Sharapova RUS d #95 Petra Martic CRO 6-3, 6-2 Thu
Petra and Maria driving forehands
#19 s17 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS d #44 Agnes Szavay HUN 6-1, 6-2 Fri
*#218 wc Sabine Lisicki GER d #20 s18 Nadia Petrova RUS 4-6, 6-3, 3-1 retired—dizziness Thu
#21 s19 Ana Ivanovic SRB d #56 Kimiko Date-Krumm JPN 6-2, 6-0 Fri
Ana's service toss, Kimiko driving a backhand, and Ana after winning a point
*#36 Shuai Peng CHN d #22 s20 Aravane Rezai FRA 6-0, 6-4 Thu
#23 s21 Andrea Petkovic GER d #127 q Jamie Hampton USA 6-2, 7-5 Thu
Jamie and Andrea driving backhands
*#41 Ekaterina Makarova RUS d #24 s22 Alisa Kleybanova RUS 7-5, 6-3 Fri
*#58 Elena Vesnina RUS d #25 s23 Yanina Wickmayer BEL 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 Thu
#26 s24 Maria Kirilenko RUS d #107 q Sania Mirza IND 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 Fri
Maria and Sania driving forehand and backhand, and Maria after winning a point
#27 s25 Dominika Cibulkova SVK d #46 Timea Bacsinszky SUI 6-1, 5-7, 7-5 Fri
Timea about to slice a backhand, and Domi's forehand drive
#28 s26 Alexandra Dulgheru ROU d #81 Chanelle Scheepers RSA 6-3, 6-2 Thu
#29 s27 Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez ESP d #127 q Anna Tatishvili GEO 6-1, 6-4 Fri
Maria Jose following a backhand
#30 s28 Jarmila Groth AUS d #42 Yaroslava Shvedova KAZ 6-4, 3-1 retired—left quad strain Fri
Yaroslava said: "I'm ok, it's not my knee, just muscles around it strained from over working... Have 3 good weeks now to rest, recover and practice hard to be ready for clay!" Yaroslava Shvedova at Twitter
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#31 s29 Daniela Hantuchova SVK d #84 Melanie Oudin USA 6-1, 6-3 Thu
Daniela and Melanie driving forehand and backhand, and Daniela after match point
#32 s30 Lucie Safarova CZE d #39 Patty Schnyder SUI 6-2, 6-4 Thu
Lucie driving a forehand, and Patty following a backhand
*#50 Lourdes Dominguez Lino ESP d #33 s31 Tsvetana Pironkova BUL 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 Fri
#34 s32 Klara Zakopalova CZE d #74 Elena Baltacha GBR 7-6(4), 6-3 Thu
Elena about to connect with a backhand, and Klara following a forehand
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Miami, 3rd Rd, Sat-Sun 10am & 11am WTA Sat story - Sun WTA story
loser's prize: $18,740; points: 80
#1 s1 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d #31 s29 Daniela Hantuchova SVK 6-1, 7-6(7) Sat
Caroline about to swat a forehand, and Dani and Caro driving backhands
Caroline said: "Daniela's a great player. I knew it wasn't going to be easy after the first set, and she was going to change her gameplan. I just tried to make her run and not let her dictate too much. We're good friends and practice together, so we know each other's games well." WTA story
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#2 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL d #29 s27 Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez ESP 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 Sun
Kim and Maria Jose driving forehand and backhand, and Kim after match point
It was Kim's 500th career match victory (against 117 losses).
Neither player was at her best. Kim fired 1 ace, but struck 10 double faults; Maria Jose hit 2 aces, with 7 DFs. Kim scored on 5 of the 13 break points she reached against Maria Jose; Maria Jose converted 4 of the 9 break points she held against Kim. Kim scored 96 points in the match; Maria Jose scored 88.
Kim said: "[Maria Jose] had a really flat backhand and a forehand she hit with more topspin. It's always hard when you have a player who plays two totally different shots on each side. You have to be ready to move and adjust all the time. A couple of times my footwork wasn't right and I wasn't playing how I should have been, but I'm happy I was able to move through."
About her 4th round opponent, Ana Ivanovic, Kim said: "I always root for Ana, because we go back a long time and get along really well. It's nice to see she's doing well and she's happy. Tomorrow night I'm going to try and do what I've done well against her in the past, be aggressive and go for the lines."
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#3 s3 Vera Zvonareva RUS d #30 s28 Jarmila Groth AUS 7-6(4), 6-2 Sun
Jarmila and Vera driving backhands
#4 s4 Samantha Stosur AUS d #32 s30 Lucie Safarova CZE 6-0, 7-6(1) Sat
Lucie following a backhand, and Samantha's forehand drive
#5 s5 Francesca Schiavone ITA d #50 Lourdes Dominguez Lino ESP 6-4, 7-6(2) Sun
Lourdes about to swat a backhand, and Francesca's forehand drive
#6 s6 Jelena Jankovic SRB d #34 s32 Klara Zakopalova CZE 7-5, 6-1 Sat
Jelena about to slice a backhand
#9 s8 Victoria Azarenka BLR d #27 s25 Dominika Cibulkova SVK 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 Sun
Domi and Vika driving backhands
#10 s9 Agnieszka Radwanska POL d #26 s24 Maria Kirilenko RUS 7-6(2), 6-3 Sun
Agnieszka driving a backhand, and Maria following a forehand
*#36 Shuai Peng CHN d #13 s11 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS 6-3, 6-1 Sat
Svetlana and Shuai driving backhands, and Shuai after match point
*#19 s17 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS d #14 s12 Petra Kvitova CZE 6-4, 6(3)-7, 6-0 Sun
#17 s15 Marion Bartoli FRA d #41 Ekaterina Makarova RUS 6-0, 6-2 Sun
Ekaterina and Marion driving backhand and forehand
#18 s16 Maria Sharapova RUS d #218 wc Sabine Lisicki GER 6-2, 6-0 Sat
Maria serving, Sabine and Maria driving forehands, and Maria after match point
Maria will play Samantha Stosur in the 4th round on Monday. Surprisingly, Maria leads Samantha 6-0 in career matches, and Sam has only taken 2 sets from Maria in those 6 matches. Their most recent meeting was on a hardcourt in the 1st round in Tokyo in 2009, when Maria defeated Samantha 6-0, 6-1.
Maria said: "Sam is a Top 5 player and has been so consistent. I really look forward to that match. We haven't played each other for a while. Personally I have to put the previous encounters behind me.
"I'll take a few things that worked well for me before and try to use them again, but it has been a while, and it's always a new match. That's why they put the nets up for us to play. That's why we go out there and have to play again, no matter what the record is."
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#21 s19 Ana Ivanovic SRB d #93 Virginie Razzano FRA 2-6, 6-2, 3-0 retired—left thigh strain Sun
Virginie and Ana driving backhands
Ana fired 3 aces (with 2 double faults) and converted 5 of 9 break points during the incomplete match; Virginie hit 1 ace (with 3 DFs) and scored on 3 of 11 break points.
About Virginie retiring from the match, Ana said "I didn't expect it at all. She was playing really well in the first set and hardly made any errors.
"In the second set her shots were a little shorter and I turned it around by being more aggressive and it worked. I was able to put more pressure on her."
About playing Kim Clijsters in the 4th round, Ana said: "I'm just enjoying my tennis and competing. I look forward to that match. Kim's a great player, one of the best out there. It will be a good match."
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#23 s21 Andrea Petkovic GER d #48 Iveta Benesova CZE 6-0, 6-3 Sat
Andrea driving a forehand
#28 s26 Alexandra Dulgheru ROU d #69 Johanna Larsson SWE 6-2, 6-1 Sat
*#77 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP d #58 Elena Vesnina RUS 6-3, 6-4 Sat
Anabel said: "I started to play really well in Indian Wells and I'm continuing to play well here. I was really hoping to beat Shahar, she's #11 in the world. I knew Elena would be tough too, but I focused and was moving well...
"I didn't play very well last year. I had a lot of first round losses. It was the same at the start of this year. I wasn't confident. But I stopped thinking about winning the matches and started working very hard."
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Miami, 4th Rd, Mon 11am
loser's prize: $32,000; points: 140
rain stopped play, play resumed
*#23 s21 Andrea Petkovic GER d #1 s1 Caroline Wozniacki DEN 7-5, 3-6, 6-3
Andrea driving a forehand, Caroline running one down, Caro congratulating Petko after match point, and Andrea doing the now obligatory "Petko Dance"
Andrea's previous best win (in a completed match) was over then #6 Svetlana Kuznetsova in the 2nd round in Tokyo in 2009, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.
Andrea fired an ace on set point to end the 1st set, and another ace on match point to finish the match. She totaled 3 aces, with 4 double faults, while converting 6 of 14 break points and scoring 101 points overall. Caroline fired 1 ace, with 5 DFs, scored on 5 of 17 break points against Andrea, and won 97 points in all.
Oncourt after the match, Andrea said: "Actually, I don’t really believe it. Caroline is such a tough, tough player, and so tough to beat, so I’m really thrilled... Most players think they can overpower Caroline. I think that’s the wrong approach, because she’s going to bring each ball back, so I tried to mix it up a little bit. Thankfully it worked." AP story - WTA story - ESPN feature
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#2 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL d #21 s19 Ana Ivanovic SRB 7-6(4), 3-6, 7-6(5) ppd-Tue
Ana and Kim driving forehand and backhand
#3 s3 Vera Zvonareva RUS d #17 s15 Marion Bartoli FRA 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
Marion driving a backhand, and Vera's forehand drive
*#18 s16 Maria Sharapova RUS d #4 s4 Samantha Stosur AUS 6-4, 6-1
Maria serving, Samantha reaching for a forehand, Maria driving one, and after match point
It was Maria's first victory over a top 5 player since the 2008 Australian Open, when, on her way to the title, she defeated #1 Justine Henin, #4 Jelena Jankovic, and #3 Ana Ivanovic in the last three rounds. The win also raised Maria's record against top 10 players, in matches from January 2008 to the present, to 8-8. Maria now leads Samantha 7-0 in career matches, and Sam has only taken two sets from Maria in those seven matches.
Maria, serving 36 times, struck 3 aces, with 5 double faults, put 61% of her 1st serves in the box, and won 73% of those points. Samantha, serving 33 times, hit no aces, with 5 DFs, also put 61% of her 1st serves in, but won only 53% of those points. Maria converted 5 of the 9 break points she reached against Samantha, and won 65 points in the match. Sam scored on one of the four break points she reached against Maria, and won 48 points in the match.
Maria did not play at Miami from 2008 until this year due to injuries. Addressing the crowd after the match, Maria joked: "Since I haven't played here in so many years, I feel like I owe it to my fans to play many matches here."
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*#10 s9 Agnieszka Radwanska POL d #5 s5 Francesca Schiavone ITA 6-0, 6-2
Agnieszka about to slice a backhand, and Francesca following a forehand
#6 s6 Jelena Jankovic SRB d #77 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP 6-1, 6-3
Anabel and Jelena driving backhand and forehand
#9 s8 Victoria Azarenka BLR d #19 s17 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
Vika after an online chat interview session on Tuesday (no news photos were posted from this match)
#28 s26 Alexandra Dulgheru ROU d #36 Shuai Peng CHN 6-3, 6-4
Shuai and Alexandra driving backhands
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Miami, QFs, Tue-Wed 11am
loser's prize: $64,700; points: 250
Tue: rain stopped play, play resumed
*#9 s8 Victoria Azarenka BLR d #2 s2 Kim Clijsters BEL 6-3, 6-3 Wed
Victoria serving, Kim and Vika driving backhands, and Victoria after match point
Victoria scored on 6 of the 8 break points she reached against Kim; Kim converted 3 of 4 break points she held against Vika. Vika scored 66 points in the match; Kim, 53.
Victoria said: "I think I played a little bit more aggressive, played more forward, tried to come in more [than in previous matches against Kim]. That was the biggest difference... [Kim] went for her shots and stayed in the match throughout the end." postmatch interview
Kim said that the right shoulder injury which caused her to retire from a match at Indian Wells was not a factor in the loss. Kim said: "Didn't feel good out there. Just mentally, physically, didn't feel right... Tough few last days. But not in a way that I should not be ready for that. I train hard enough to physically be capable of doing that... It's obviously tough against someone like [Victoria]. Against some lower ranked players maybe it's possible to get through matches, but against somebody like her, not...
"[The shoulder is] okay. It's under control... I'm just looking forward to a break right now." postmatch interview
About play Vera Zvonareva in the semifinals, Vika said: "I have to play on a high level, because [Vera is] a very consistent player. She's showing some of her best tennis in her life right now, so I definitely have to be, you know, aggressive and focused on my game to play forward and have fun."
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#3 s3 Vera Zvonareva RUS d #10 s9 Agnieszka Radwanska POL 7-5, 6-3 Wed
Vera serving, Agnieszka and Vera driving backhands, and Vera after match point
Vera hit 27 winners in the match (including 3 aces), with 23 unforced errors (including 3 double faults). Agnieszka hit only 5 winners (no aces), but also hit 23 errors (1 DF). Vera converted 5 of 7 break points against Agnieszka, Agi scored on only 2 of 4 break points against Vera. Vera totaled 70 points in the match, Agnieszka, 54.
The match was played in the high, variable winds which are typical for this tournament. Vera said: "I'm pleased the way I played today, and especially against Agnieszka it's never easy. She keeps the ball in play, so you really have to focus really well. I was able to keep my concentration throughout the whole match. Still a little bit ups and downs, but overall I'm really happy.
"Especially in those windy conditions. I had to take my chances and come into the net. I was pretty successful out there, so I'm pleased with that as well." postmatch interview
Vera will play Victoria Azarenka in the Miami semifinals at 9pm on Thursday evening. Vera leads Vika 6-2 in career matches, but they were 2-2 against each other last year. Their most recent meeting was on a Deco-Turf hardcourt in the quarterfinals of the 2010 WTA Championships in Doha, Qatar, when Vera defeated Vika 7-6(4), 6-4.
Vera said: "It's going to be a difficult match, tough challenge, and really happy about the challenge. I enjoy those tough matches."
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*#23 s21 Andrea Petkovic GER d #6 s6 Jelena Jankovic SRB 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 Tue
Andrea and Jelena driving forehands, Andrea following a backhand, and doing the after match point "Petko Dance," which she says she will abandon after this tourney
Andrea hit 2 aces with just 1 double fault, and converted 4 of 10 break points against Jelena while scoring 106 points in the match. Jelena hit 4 aces, with 5 DFs, and scored on 3 of 12 break points against Andrea while totaling 102 points for the match.
Andrea said: "I've always believed I can beat those top players. It was always just a matter of time. Now a lot of things are clicking and coming into position, but I'm still at the beginning. I still have so much more to learn and improve." WTA story
Andrea will play Maria Sharapova in the Miami semifinals on Thursday. They are tied at 1-1 in career matches. On a Deco-Turf hardcourt in the 2nd round in Cincinnati in 2010, Maria defeated Andrea 6-3, 6-1. But earlier this year, on a Plexipave hardcourt in the 4th round of the Australian Open, Andrea defeated Maria 6-2, 6-3.
Andrea said: "I played Maria in Australia. I had a gameplan in that match and I beat her. Maria is the type of player who also goes for her shots, and on a good day, it's tough to push your gameplan through. But I'll do anything to beat her. That's all I can do."
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#18 s16 Maria Sharapova RUS d #28 s26 Alexandra Dulgheru ROU 3-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(5) Tue
Alexandra and Maria driving backhands, Maria after twisting her ankle late in the 3rd set, Maria back up serving with her ankle taped, and after match point
Maria hit 2 aces with 17 double faults (7 in the 1st set), and converted 9 of 19 break points against Alexandra while scoring 127 points in the match. Alexandra hit no aces, had 4 DFs, and scored on 10 of 19 break points against Maria while totaling 124 points for the match.
The match lasted 3 hours and 28 minutes. Maria said: "It was long. It was tough. It was not my best performance, but I gutted it out till the end. I didn't feel great throughout the match. I was making too many errors. [Alexandra] was playing really well and consistent, and even though I had the lead, I just never took care of it. But at the end of the day I won, so I'm really happy." postmatch interview
Alexandra said: "It's tennis. I could have won, she could have won. She had some really good shots and we had some great points. All the credit to her— Maria is a great fighter. She can be down 40-0 and come back. It was a good match." WTA story
Maria twisted her left ankle while serving at 5-all in the 3rd set. Maria said: "It hurt when I did it. I iced it a lot and did an ice bath and got it taped. I think I'll be okay. I'm tough."
About playing Andrea Petkovic in the semifinals on Thursday, Maria said: "I didn't have a good result against her in Australia, so I'm looking forward to it. It's the semifinal. [Andrea] playing really good tennis. I'll have to definitely raise my level."
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Miami, SFs, Thu 1pm & 9pm
loser's prize: $150,000; points: 450
*#9 s8 Victoria Azarenka BLR d #3 s3 Vera Zvonareva RUS 6-0, 6-3
Victoria driving a forehand, Vera and Vika driving backhands, and Victoria after match point
Victoria hit 13 winners (including 1 ace) with only 9 unforced errors (2 double faults); Vera hit 15 winners (1 ace), but with 30 errors (4 DFs). Vika scored on 5 of the 8 break points she held against Vera; Vera did not reach break point against Victoria during the match. Vika totaled 41 points; Vera, 63.
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#18 s16 Maria Sharapova RUS d #23 s21 Andrea Petkovic GER 3-6, 6-0, 6-2
Andrea's service toss, Maria and Andrea driving backhands, Maria reaching for a left handed forehand (her 2-handed backhand with the right hand removed), Maria serving, Andrea and Maria driving forehands, and Maria and after match point
Maria had lost to Andrea in their previous meeting, in the 4th round of this year's Australian Open, 6-2, 6-3.
Each player served 45 times in the 2 hour, 7 minute match. Maria fired 2 aces, but with 8 double faults; Andrea hit 4 aces, with 4 DFs. Maria scored on 7 of the 14 break points she reached against Andrea; Andrea converted 3 of 9 break points she held against Maria. Maria scored 94 points in the match; Andrea, 76.
Maria said: "[Andrea has] been playing the best tennis of her career and beat some good players here, so I was really happy I was able to change things around after losing the first set... I wasn’t moving really well in the first set and I wasn’t adjusting to the conditions very well. I knew I had to be aggressive. I kind of stepped in the court a little bit and changed that around." postmatch interview - Tennis.com story
Maria won the first five games of the 3rd set by scoring 20 points while Andrea scored only 6. Andrea said: "I felt like I was playing well in the first set. It was very windy, and I think I got away with it quite well. In the second set, on one hand, I felt like Maria really stepped up her game; on the other hand, there were so many close games, deuce, advantage, advantage, so many breakpoints, game points, and I didn't manage to stay close to her. All of sudden, it was 3-0, 4-0, 5-0. A champion like Maria goes with it and starts to play much better.
"By the end of second set I was getting frustrated with myself because I felt my energy slowly slipping away... A champion like Maria, she just feels any kind of weakness, and she just played much, much better.." postmatch interview
Despite the loss, Andrea, who defeated #1 Caroline Wozniacki and #6 Jelena Jankovic in earlier rounds, will enter the WTA top 20 next week for the first time in her career. Former #1 Maria will re-enter the WTA top 10 on Monday for the first time since 2009.
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Miami, Final, Sat, 12:30pm
loser's prize: $350,000; points: 700
winner's prize: $700,000; points: 1000
#9 s8 Victoria Azarenka BLR d #18 s16 Maria Sharapova RUS 6-1, 6-4
Victoria serving, Maria and Vika driving forehand and backhand, and Victoria after match point
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Miami, Doubles Final, Sun after ATP singles final, 1pm
losers' prize: $118,500
winners' prize: $237,000
*Daniela Hantuchova & Agnieszka Radwanska d s3 Liezel Huber & Nadia Petrova 7-6(5), 2-6, (10-8)
Miami, Qualifying Finals, Tue Mar 22 10am
losers' prizes: q1 $1,050 1pt; q2 $2,100 20pts; qualifier 30 points
#61 Jelena Dokic AUS d #112 Christina McHale USA 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-2
#76 Shuai Zhang CHN d #139 Eva Birnerova RUS 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
#85 Ksenia Pervak RUS d #106 Junri Namigata JPN 6-1, 6-2
#86 Lucie Hradecka CZE d #137 Irina Falconi USA 6-1, 5-7, 6-1
*#107 Sania Mirza IND d #89 Renata Voracova CZE 6-4, 6-2
*#127 Jamie Hampton USA d #104 Kirsten Flipkens BEL 5-7, 6-4, 6-2
#110 Arantxa Rus NED d #181 Michelle Larcher de Brito POR 6-4, 6-2
#117 Vesna Manasieva RUS d #124 Yvonne Meusburger AUT 6-2, 6(0)-7, 6-3
#118 Anastasia Yakimova BLR d #433 Lauren Davis USA 6-4, 6-1
#120 Yung-Jan Chan TPE d #121 Anastasia Pivovarova RUS 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
*#192 Sloane Stephens USA d #122 Sophie Ferguson AUS 7-6(4), 6-1
*#127 Anna Tatishvili GEO d #123 Nuria Llagostera Vives ESP 6-3,4-6, 6-4
Miami, Withdrawals
#8 Venus Williams USA right hip/abdominal injury
#11 Serena Williams USA foot injury and pulmonary embolism
#38 Anastasija Sevastova LAT right foot injury
#49 Anna Chakvetadze RUS illness
#55 Alona Bondarenko UKR right knee injury
#62 Carla Suarez Navarro ESP right elbow injury
#66 Akgul Amanmuradova UZB right elbow injury
#83 Romina Oprandi ITA right knee injury
#94 Tamarine Tanasugarn THA right elbow injury
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, about two-thirds to three quarters of the matches played on the show courts each day were ATP (in the later rounds things even up, because there are not enough ATP matches to fill the show courts). As of Wednesday, of the 47 interview transcripts posted at the SEO website, 19 have been WTA (including Larry Scott), and 28 have been ATP. Considering that the principal sponsor of this tourney is the WTA's title sponsor, it makes a joke of the concept of equal treatment for the ladies.
Link to many postmatch interview & match highlight videos of WTA players at the
: the current top 20 Women's Tennis rankings with player photos, links, and bio info.
