WTA Jan 16-28: Australian Open

Australian Open, Melbourne, AUS
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n1 C Wozniacki, n2 P Kvitova
n3 V Azarenka, n4 M Sharapova
n5 Na Li, n6 S Stosur
n7 V Zvonareva, n8 A Radwanska
n9 M Bartoli, n11 F Schiavone

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Melbourne:

#4 Maria Sharapova
6'2" 130lb RH 2H-BH

Melbourne:

#3 Victoria Azarenka
5'10" 132lb RH 2H-BH

Melbourne:

1st Grand Slam Singles Title
10th WTA Singles Title

On Saturday in Melbourne, Australia, in the final of the 2012 Australian Open, this year's champion at Sydney, 22 year old 3rd seeded #3 (career high: #3) Victoria Azarenka of Belarus (res: Monte Carlo, Monaco), defeated the 2011 Rome & Cincy (& 2008 AO) champ, 24 year old 4th seeded #4 (former #1) Maria Sharapova of Russia (res: Manhattan Beach, CA & Bradenton, FL), 6-3, 6-0 (both ladies are shown during the match, and Vika with the hardware on Sunday).

3-time Australian Open champion Martina Hingis presented the trophy. Victoria's prize is AUD$2,300,000; Maria's prize is AUD$1,150,000 (as of January 27, one Australian dollar equals 1.0653 US dollars).

Vika also earned the ranking points she needs to displace Caroline Wozniacki as #1 in Monday's WTA singles rankings. Petra Kvitova will be #2, Maria Sharapova #3, and Caroline #4. AP story

Victoria struck 14 winners (no aces) with 14 unforced errors (4 double faults); Maria also hit 14 winners (1 ace), but with 30 errors (3 DFs). match stats - BBC As it Happened - WTA story - AP story

Victoria said: "I didn't think of going to the match that I have to play perfect. I just have to play better than my opponent. First two games was a little bit of a disaster, but then I kinda got the momentum going. I relaxed and I start to be focusing on the moment on each point, trying to do whatever it takes to win that point." postmatch interview

Maria said: "[Victoria] did everything better than I did today. You know, I had a good first couple of games, and that was about it. Then she was the one that was taking the first ball and hitting it deep and aggressive. I was always the one running around like a rabbit, you know, trying to play catchup all the time." postmatch interview

Victoria now leads Maria at 4-3 in career matches. In their previous meeting, on red clay in the quarterfinals last year in Rome, Maria won 4-6, 3-0 retired when Victoria could not continue due to an elbow injury. Vika their previous complete match, on a Laykold hardcourt in last year's Miami final, 6-1, 6-4.

2011 WTA Championships finalist Victoria was playing in her first Grand Slam singles final; she is now 10-8 in WTA singles finals. She won this year at Sydney, and last year at Miami, Marbella and Luxembourg. Vika had a 55-17 singles match record in 2011, she is 12-0 this year.

3-time grand slam tourney champion Maria is now 24-14 in WTA singles finals; she won last year at Rome and Cincinnati. She won Grand Slam singles titles at Wimbledon in 2004, Flushing Meadows in 2006, and Melbourne in 2008. Due to right shoulder rotator cuff tendon tears, Maria played only one match (a doubles match) between August, 2008, and May, 2009. Maria had a 43-14 singles match record last season, she is 6-1 in 2012.

Men's singles final: s1 Novak Djokovic SRB d s2 Rafael Nadal ESP 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5

The news.quickfound.net Australia page carries a 155-year-old New York Times article with a fairly detailed description of Melbourne in 1853.

◄ click for 2012 women's singles draw in the video frame

Major Skirmishes, Top Half

italics = advanced by upset of higher ranked player

4th Round:
n1 s1 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d n14 s13 Jelena Jankovic SRB 6-0, 7-5
n3 s3 Victoria Azarenka BLR d n46 Iveta Benesova CZE 6-2, 6-2
n12 s11 Kim Clijsters BEL d n5 s5 Na Li CHN 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4
n8 s8 Agnieszka Radwanska POL d n23 s22 Julia Goerges GER 6-1, 6-1

Quarterfinals:
n12 s11 Kim Clijsters BEL d n1 s1 Caroline Wozniacki DEN 6-3, 7-6(4)
n3 s3 Victoria Azarenka BLR d n8 s8 Agnieszka Radwanska POL 6(7)-7, 6-0, 6-2

Semifinal:
n3 s3 Victoria Azarenka BLR d n12 s11 Kim Clijsters BEL 6-4, 1-6, 6-3

Major Skirmishes, Bottom Half

italics = advanced by upset of higher ranked player

4th Round:
n2 s2 Petra Kvitova CZE d n22 s21 Ana Ivanovic SRB 6-2, 7-6(2)
n4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS d n15 s14 Sabine Lisicki GER 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
n54 Ekaterina Makarova RUS d n13 s12 Serena Williams USA 6-2, 6-3
n47 Sara Errani ITA d n38 Jie Zheng CHN 6-2, 6-1

Quarterfinals:
n2 s2 Petra Kvitova CZE d n47 Sara Errani ITA 6-4, 6-4
n4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS d n54 Ekaterina Makarova RUS 6-2, 6-3

Semifinal:
n4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS d n2 s2 Petra Kvitova CZE 6-2, 3-6, 6-4

2012 Australian Open prize money amounts are listed below (as of November 10, 2011, $1 Australian equals $1.0134 US).
The Australian dollar has risen substantially against the US dollar in the past three years, so prizes in US dollars are much higher than in 2009.
Qualifying amounts are from 2009 (with the exchange rate now adjusted to the current level); the AO has not published 2010, 2011 or 2012 qualifying prizes.

WTA SCOREBOARD: The Australian Open at Melbourne

s=seed, n=rank, *=upset, LL=lucky loser
ranks are for the previous week
How do players get into the "draw"?

Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia

tourney time:

= GMT +11 hours
= US ET +16 hours
= US PT +19 hours

Australia News

Weather Forecast | Weather Maps | Weather Radar

The Australian Open has 32 seeds, with no 1st-round byes.
There are 12 qualifiers and 8 wild cards in the main draw. Qualifying finals are on Saturday.

Melbourne Park click for broader view venue: guide - maps
Latitude: -37.821497 Longitude: 144.978772 goto link for World Wind

2012: Aussie #1 Samantha Stosur, 2008 Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova, and 2008 finalist Ana Ivanovic were among the players practicing
at Melbourne Park on Wednesday, January 11... row 2: On Thursday, 2003, '05, '07, '09 & '10 AO champ Serena Williams modeled her new Nike togs for
this year's tourney... On Friday, 2011 tourney champion Kim Clijsters helped out at the main draw ceremony, while Vera Zvonareva got in some practice...
row 3: On Saturday, Maria Sharapova posted a photo a facebook, saying "Look who I found in the locker room wearing the same Nike sweatshirt and leggings...I think I might have to lock my suitcases from now on!!"... Girls looking good at Sunday's player party included Jelena Dokic, Li Na, & Maria...

Australian Open, 1st Rd, Mon-Tue 11am Mon WTA story 1 - 2 - Tue WTA story 1 - 2 - 3
loser: AUD$20,000, 5 points
n1 s1 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d n107 Anastasia Rodionova AUS 6-2, 6-1 Mon

Anastasia and Caroline driving forehand and backhand, and Caro after match point

Caroline injured her left wrist last week in Sydney. Caroline said: "I was a bit nervous before the match. I didn't know exactly what to expect. But it feels better. I'm very happy about the way I felt out there today. I got into the rhythm as the match went on tonight."

n2 s2 Petra Kvitova CZE d n84 Vera Dushevina RUS 6-2, 6-0 Tue

Petra driving a backhand

n3 s3 Victoria Azarenka BLR d n106 Heather Watson GBR 6-1, 6-0 Mon

Victoria serving, Heather driving a backhand, and Vika following a forehand

Victoria said: "The score was easy, but to play the match is never easy. I came here on Saturday and only hit once before the match. The first time I hit on center court was this morning. There were a few things I have to work on to get better in my second round, but I take what I get. I cannot complain."

n4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS d n67 Gisela Dulko ARG 6-0, 6-1 Tue

Gisela and Maria driving forehand and backhand, and Maria after match point

Maria said: "It was a pretty tough first round opponent, someone who beat me the last time we played at a major. I'm also coming into my first event of the year. She can definitely play some really good tennis. I was just mentally prepared for that. I was getting ready and have been practicing here. I played pretty aggressive—she has great hands and likes to have time to create her shots, so I had to take that from her. I thought it was good for a first round.
"We know each other's games really well. We grew up together in the juniors. She's actually one of the few players I played doubles with in my so-called short term doubles career. I know the quality she can produce."

n5 s5 Na Li CHN d n40 Ksenia Pervak RUS 6-3, 6-1 Mon

Na's backhand drive

*n60 Sorana Cirstea ROU d n6 s6 Samantha Stosur AUS 7-6(2), 6-3 Tue

Sorana serving, Samantha and Sorana driving backhands, and Sori after match point

Sorana said: "It's a big win, but I'm staying with my feet on the ground because I went on the court with no pressure—[Samantha] had all the pressure. Now things are going to change. Now people are going to expect me to win my next match. But I'm just going to try and enjoy today and prepare for my next match."

Samantha said: "Obviously I'm extremely disappointed... Sorana hung in there and kept going for it and eventually got better and better. I think she played a very, very good match. You have to give credit where credit's due. But I think maybe I didn't step up."

n7 s7 Vera Zvonareva RUS d n66 Alexandra Dulgheru ROU 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 6-3

Vera's forehand drive

n8 s8 Agnieszka Radwanska POL d n56 Mattek-Sands USA 6(10)-7, 6-4, 6-2 Mon

Agnieszka driving a backhand

n9 s9 Marion Bartoli FRA d n85 Virginie Razzano FRA 7-5, 6-0 Tue

Marion driving a forehand

Marion said: "Virginie played very well the first set. All credit to her. She has caused me some problems in the past. She has beaten me a lot of times and it was not easy. But obviously all the improvements I've done during the off-season and my physical training really showed up in the second set. I was fitter."

n11 s10 Francesca Schiavone ITA d n74 Laura Pous-Tio ESP 6-1, 6-3 Mon

Francesca after match point

n12 s11 Kim Clijsters BEL d n222 q Maria Joao Koehler POR 7-5, 6-1 Mon

Maria and Kim driving backhands

Kim said: "It was hard to read her serve and get used to a player I'd never played before. I really had to find my rhythm out there. But I was excited to go out there and start playing again. I've had that since we came to Australia. I had a good off-season and wanted to put it to the test."

n13 s12 Serena Williams USA d n44 Tamira Paszek AUT 6-3, 6-2 Tue

Serena serving, Tamira driving a forehand, and Serena's backhand drive

Serena won the last 5 games of the match, serving 4 aces to win one of those games (12 aces in the match).

Serena said: "I think I was a wee bit tight out there tonight. I always get a little nervous in my first round matches. Hopefully I can get better for my next match."

Tamira tweeted: "Just got back home after a very long day at the office :) Was happy the way I played, especially in the first set! Overall it was a great feeling and experience playing one of the biggest champions @serenawilliams in front of such a crowd. I'll take many positive things from this match and work very hard in the next few weeks, promise :) but now i'll try to sleep..... :) xox" Tamira Paszek at Twitter

n14 s13 Jelena Jankovic SRB d n133 q Laura Robson GBR 6-2, 6-0 Mon

Jelena and Laura driving forehand and backhand

n15 s14 Sabine Lisicki GER d n140 q Stefanie Voegele SUI 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 Tue

Sabine driving a backhand, and Stefanie following one

n16 s15 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS d n42 Klara Zakopalova CZE 7-6(5), 6-1 Tue

Klara and Anastasia driving backhands

n17 s16 Shuai Peng CHN d n115 wc Aravane Rezai FRA 6-3, 6-4 Mon

Aravane and Shuai driving forehand and backhand

n18 s17 Dominika Cibulkova SVK d n70 Magdalena Rybarikova SVK 6-3, 6-1 Tue

Domi watching her backhand fly

n19 s18 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS d n39 Chanelle Scheepers RSA 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 Tue
*n136 q Nina Bratchikova RUS d n20 s19 Flavia Pennetta ITA 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 Mon2

Flavia following a forehand, and Nina about to swat a backhand

n21 s20 Daniela Hantuchova SVK d n127 q V Lepchenko USA 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 Mon

Daniela ready to slice a forehand

n22 s21 Ana Ivanovic SRB d n78 Lourdes Dominguez Lino ESP 6-0, 6-3 Tue

Ana's forehand drive

n23 s22 Julia Goerges GER d n36 Polona Hercog SLO 6-3, 7-6(3) Mon

Julia's backhand drive

n24 s23 Roberta Vinci ITA d n109 Alexandra Cadantu ROU 6-0, 6-1 Tue
*n43 Christina McHale USA d n25 s24 Lucie Safarova CZE 6-2, 6-4 Mon

Christina and Lucie spinning forehands

n26 s25 Kaia Kanepi EST d n59 Johanna Larsson SWE 6-2, 6-4 Tue
n27 s26 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP d n99 Eva Birnerova CZE 6-3, 6-3 Mon

Anabel following a forehand

n28 s27 Maria Kirilenko RUS d n34 Jarmila Gajdosova AUS 6-4, 6-2 Tue

Jarmila and Maria driving forehand and backhand

*n55 Galina Voskoboeva KAZ d n29 s28 Yanina Wickmayer BEL 7-5, 6-2 Mon

Galina driving a backhand

n30 s29 Nadia Petrova RUS d n116 q Andrea Hlavackova CZE 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 Tue
n31 s30 Angelique Kerber GER d n182 wc Bojana Bobusic AUS 6-1, 6-3 Tue
n32 s31 Monica Niculescu ROU d n90 Alize Cornet FRA 5-7, 6-0, 6-3 Mon

Monica and Alize driving backhands

n32 s32 Petra Cetkovska CZE d n51 Ayumi Morita JPN 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 Mon

Petra's backhand drive

n37 Shahar Peer ISR d n240 wc Isabella Holland AUS 6-2, 6-0 Tue

Shahar and Isabella driving forehand and backhand

n38 Jie Zheng CHN d n271 wc Madison Keys USA 6-2, 6-1 Tue
*n58 Carla Suarez Navarro ESP d n41 Irina-Camelia Begu ROU 6-1, 7-5 Tue
n45 Barbora Zahlavova Strycova CZE d n94 Iryna Bremond FRA 6-0, 6-4 Tue
n46 Iveta Benesova CZE d n76 Mathilde Johansson FRA 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 Mon
n47 Sara Errani ITA d n124 q Valeria Savinykh RUS 6-2, 6-1 Tue
n48 Tsvetana Pironkova BUL d n105 Sania Mirza IND 6-4, 6-2 Mon

Sania driving a forehand, and Tsvetana after match point

n49 Lucie Hradecka CZE d n103 Evgeniya Rodina RUS 6-3, 6-1 Tue
*n96 Stephanie Dubois CAN d n50 Elena Vesnina RUS 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 Tue
*n149 q Kai-Chen Chang TPE d n52 Petra Martic CRO 6-4, 6-2 Mon
*n108 Stephanie Foretz Gacon FRA d n53 Elena Baltacha GBR 6-2, 6-4 Mon

Stephanie about to swat a forehand

n54 Ekaterina Makarova RUS d n93 Tamarine Tanasugarn THA 6-0, 2-6, 6-0 Tue
*n194 q Paula Ormaechea ARG d n57 Simona Halep ROU 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 Mon
n61 Marina Erakovic NZL d n218 q Irena Pavlovic FRA 7-5, 7-6(4) Mon
*n82 Romina Oprandi ITA d n62 Anastasiya Yakimova BLR 6-4, 6-1 Mon
*n92 Greta Arn HUN d n63 Rebecca Marino CAN 6-4, 6-2 Tue
n64 Mona Barthel GER d n75 Anne Keothavong GBR 6-0 retired—gastrointestinal illness Mon
n65 Vania King USA d n87 Kateryna Bondarenko UKR 7-6(3), 6-3 Tue

Vania's backhand drive

n69 Alberta Brianti ITA d n83 Irina Falconi USA 6-2, 7-5 Mon
n71 Jelena Dokic AUS d n234 sr59 Anna Chakvetadze RUS 6-2, 6-1 Tue

Jelena and Anna driving forehand and backhand

Jelena said: "It's a good win. It was difficult conditions out there. I did what I had to do. Sometimes it's not pretty in these conditions, but I did everything right today. Yeah, I think I played a solid match.
"Anna has been a little bit sick [with an inner ear disorder] and I don't think she has played much for six months, even though she had a pretty good week last week. You can never count her out though. She's a competitor."

*n135 wc Casey Dellacqua AUS d n72 Bojana Jovanovski SRB 6-3, 6-2 Mon

Casey's forehand drive

n73 Pauline Parmentier FRA d n101 Alla Kudryavtseva RUS 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 Mon
*n168 wc Olivia Rogowska AUS d n77 Sofia Arvidsson SWE 6-3, 6-1 Mon

Sofia driving a forehand, Olivia following one, and setting the day's altitude record after match point

*n111 Lesia Tsurenko UKR d n79 Arantxa Rus NED 7-6(4), 6-1 Mon
*n95 Sloane Stephens USA d n80 Silvia Soler-Espinosa ESP 6-4, 6-2 Tue
*n88 Eleni Daniilidou GRE d n81 Kimiko Date-Krumm JPN 6-3, 6-2 Mon

Eleni serving, and Kimiko driving a backhand

n86 Anna Tatishvili GEO d n674 wc Ashleigh Barty AUS 6-2, 7-6(4) Mon

Ashleigh and Anna driving forehand and backhand

&n91 Michaella Krajicek NED d n89 Kristina Barrois GER 6-3, 7-6(13) Tue
*n112 Olga Govortsova BLR d n98 Patricia Mayr-Achleitner AUT 6-2, 6-4 Mon
n102 Urszula Radwanska POL d n137 q Alison Riske USA 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 Tue
n104 Aleksandra Wozniak CAN d n126 wc Shuai Zhang CHN 6-3, 6-3 Tue

Shuai following a forehand, and Alexandra about to swat one

*n143 q Jamie Hampton USA d n110 Mandy Minella LUX 6-1, 6-1 Tue

Australian Open, 2nd Rd, Wed-Thu 11am Wed WTA story - Thu WTA story - Thu 2
loser: AUD$33,300, 100 points
n1 s1 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d n86 Anna Tatishvili GEO 6-1, 7-6(4) Wed

Caroline driving a forehand

Caroline said: "I pulled through. I thought the first set I played pretty well—I stayed aggressive and made her run. Second set, she went a bit more for her shots, and I stepped back a little bit and she punished me for that."

n2 s2 Petra Kvitova CZE d n58 Carla Suarez Navarro ESP 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 Thu

Petra driving a forehand

Petra said: "It was very important to have a match like that. It's good I got through and won. Carla played very well in the second set. It was tough for me to get back in the third."

n3 s3 Victoria Azarenka BLR d n135 wc Casey Dellacqua AUS 6-1, 6-0 Wed

Victoria and Casey driving forehand and backhand

Casey said: "She's No.3 in the world and a bloody good player. I think she will be tough to beat. She's hitting the ball phenomenally well, moving well, not really making any errors. I know it wasn't my best night, but I didn't feel like I played the worst match of my career—yeah, she's good."

n4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS d n143 q Jamie Hampton USA 6-0, 6-1 Thu

Jamie serving, Maria following a forehand, and after match point

n5 s5 Na Li CHN d n168 wc Olivia Rogowska AUS 6-2, 6-2 Wed

Na driving a backhand, and Olivia launching a forehand on the fly

Na said: "I'm feeling always good to come back to Rod Laver Arena. This year is much better than last year—more fans come to watch me play, not only from China but all over the world." AP story

In the 3rd round on Friday, Na will play the 2011 champ in Palermo and Estoril, Anabel Medina Garrigues. Anabel leads Na 4-0 in career matches. Their most recent meeting was on an indoor hardcourt in the 1st round in Zurich in 2008, when Anabel defeated Na 6-2, 6-4.

n7 s7 Vera Zvonareva RUS v n49 Lucie Hradecka CZE 6-2, 6-3 Thu

Vera's backhand drive

n8 s8 Agnieszka Radwanska POL d n194 q Paula Ormaechea ARG 63 61 Wed

Agnieszka serving

n9 s9 Marion Bartoli FRA d n71 Jelena Dokic AUS 6-3, 6-2 Thu

Jelena driving a forehand, and Marion running one down

Jelena said: "I'm still a work in progress. It's not easy to come out at a Grand Slam and play a Top 10 player and perform the way you want to perform. But I'm happy with the improvements I'm making. I need to keep working and play as many matches as I can."

*n82 Romina Oprandi ITA d n11 s10 Francesca Schiavone ITA 6-4, 6-3 Wed

Romina and Francesca driving backhand and forehand

n12 s11 Kim Clijsters BEL d n108 Stephanie Foretz Gacon FRA 6-0, 6-1 Wed

Kim serving, and Stephanie reaching for a running forehand

n13 s12 Serena Williams USA d n45 Barbora Zahlavova Strycova CZE 6-0, 6-4 Thu

Serena and Barbora driving forehand and backhand

n14 s13 Jelena Jankovic SRB d n149 q Kai-Chen Chang TPE 6-4, 6-2 Wed

Kai-Chen and Jelena driving forehands

n15 s14 Sabine Lisicki GER d n37 Shahar Peer ISR 6-1, 6-2 Thu

Sabine and Shahar driving forehand and backhand, and Sabine after match point

*n65 Vania King USA d n16 s15 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 Thu

Vania's forehand drive

Vania said: "The first set I was pretty nervous. I was pretty stressed the whole first set. I had a lot of chances. In the second set I was able to relax a bit and focus on my gameplan, which was opening the court."

*n46 Iveta Benesova CZE d n17 s16 Shuai Peng CHN 6-2, 6-4 Wed

Shuai's 2-handed forehand with backhand grip, and Iveta's lefty 2-handed backhand

*n92 Greta Arn HUN d n18 s17 Dominika Cibulkova SVK 6-2, 3-6, 10-8 Thu

Domi and Greta driving forehand and backhand

Greta said: "Today was a really good match at a high level, and I hope I can keep it up against Serena [Williams in the 3rd round]. For me, Serena is the best player in the world, the real No.1 for me. And to play against her is an absolute privilege for me. But I'm not thinking about that right now. I'll talk to my coach and we'll see what advice he gives me."

n19 s18 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS d n95 Sloane Stephens USA 7-6(6), 7-5 Thu

Sloane driving a backhand, and Svetlana reaching for a forehand

n21 s20 Daniela Hantuchova SVK d n111 Lesia Tsurenko UKR 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 Wed

Lesia and Daniela driving forehands

n22 s21 Ana Ivanovic SRB v n91 Michaella Krajicek NED 6-1, 7-6(3) Thu

Ana serving, and Misa fielding a forehand

n23 s22 Julia Goerges GER d n88 Eleni Daniilidou GRE 6-2, 2-0 retired—neck injury Wed

Julia's backhand drive

*n38 Jie Zheng CHN d n24 s23 Roberta Vinci ITA 6-4, 6-2 Thu

Jie serving to Roberta

*n54 Ekaterina Makarova RUS d n26 s25 Kaia Kanepi EST 6-2, 7-5 Thu

Ekaterina's forehand drive

n27 s26 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP s n112 Olga Govortsova BLR 6-1, 6-0 Wed

Anabel driving a backhand

n28 s27 Maria Kirilenko RUS d n104 Aleksandra Wozniak CAN 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 Thu

Maria following a forehand, and Aleksandra driving a backhand

*n47 Sara Errani ITA d n30 s29 Nadia Petrova RUS 6-2, 6-2 Thu

Sara after match point

n31 s30 Angelique Kerber GER d n96 Stephanie Dubois CAN 7-5, 6-1 Thu

Angelique and Stephanie driving backands

n32 s31 Monica Niculescu ROU d n73 Pauline Parmentier FRA 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 Wed

Monica about to slice a backhand, and Pauline driving one

*n64 Mona Barthel GER d n32 s32 Petra Cetkovska CZE 7-5, 6-3 Wed

Mona driving a forehand

n43 Christina McHale USA d n61 Marina Erakovic NZL 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 Wed

Christina's forehand drive

*n55 Galina Voskoboeva KAZ d n48 Tsvetana Pironkova BUL 6-4, 6-4 Wed
n60 Sorana Cirstea ROU d n102 Urszula Radwanska POL 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 Thu

Sorana following a backhand

*n136 q Nina Bratchikova RUS d n69 Alberta Brianti ITA 6-2, 6-1 Wed

Nina after winning a point

Australian Open, 3rd Rd, Fri-Sat Fri WTA story - Fri 2
loser: AUD$54,625, 160 points
n1 s1 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d n32 s31 Monica Niculescu ROU 6-2, 6-2 Fri

Monica serving, and Caroline launching a backhand

Caroline said: "We had a lot of long rallies because [Monica] gets a lot of balls back. With her slice forehand it was tough to finish the point sometimes. But I felt like I was in control. I'm pretty happy."

n2 s2 Petra Kvitova CZE d n28 s27 Maria Kirilenko RUS 6-0, 1-0 retired—left thigh injury Sat

Petra serving, and Maria running down a forehand

n3 s3 Victoria Azarenka BLR v n64 Mona Barthel GER 6-2, 6-4 Fri

Mona serving, and Victoria running down a forehand

Victoria said: "Mona's a very good player. She has been winning a lot of matches, so is definitely really confident. She was going for her shots. In the second set I think I lost a bit of concentration, but I stayed composed and tried to get it back. You have to go through some tough moments sometimes."

n4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS d n31 s30 Angelique Kerber GER 6-1, 6-2 Sat

Maria serving, Angelique and Maria driving backhands, and Maria after match point

Maria said: "This one became pretty tough in the second set. [Angelique] certainly stepped it up, got that break back, got more confidence, started going for her shots. I never faced her before, but knew she's been on the big stage. Last Grand Slam she did pretty well. She's been on that stage, has beaten good players.
"I felt like I was aggressive enough. In the first set I didn't give her a chance to do what she likes. In the second set, it became a bit more of a battle. But I felt like I stepped it up when I had to here and there." postmatch interview

n5 s5 Na Li CHN d n27 s26 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP 3-0 retired—right ankle injury Fri

Na following a forehand, and Anabel after twisting her ankle

Anabel was 4-0 against Na prior to this match. Na said: "After [Anabel] got her ankle taped she tried to keep playing. After two points I saw she couldn't run and started to cry. I have to say I'm so sorry for her, because I know injury for a tennis player is a bad thing. I hope she can come back and play as soon as possible."

About playing 2011 AO champ Kim Clijsters in the 4th round, 2011 AO finalist Na said: "Of course it'll be tough, but it's going to be another challenge. I think we play the same way. It's like playing against a mirror. I only have one day, so I can't change anything. I just have to try my best in the match."

*n54 Ekaterina Makarova RUS d n7 s7 Vera Zvonareva RUS 7-6(7), 61 Sat

Vera and Ekaterina driving forehands, and Ekaterina after match point

n8 s8 Agnieszka Radwanska POL d n55 Galina Voskoboeva KAZ 6-2, 6-2 Fri

Galina and Agnieszka driving forehands

*n38 Jie Zheng CHN d n9 s9 Marion Bartoli FRA 6-3, 6-3 Sat

Jie and Marion driving forehand and backhand, and Jie after match point

Jie said: "[Marion is a] good player. She have big serve. But today I think my return is so well, I don't miss too many return, and I push her, and I try to play more aggressive." postmatch interview

Marion said: "[Jie] played extremely well, first of all. I really thought that I was under pressure right away. I never get a grip on the match. She was either doing the mistakes or hitting winners, but I never had really the chance to step up and dictate. That's pretty unusual. I think either my ball was not going fast enough or she was extremely fast. I don't know what was going on. But I really felt I couldn't penetrate and I couldn't hit winners, which usually I can do quite easily. So she was just much better than me today on the court and she deserved to win." postmatch interview

n12 s11 Kim Clijsters BEL d n21 s20 Daniela Hantuchova SVK 6-3, 6-2 Fri

Daniela serving, and Kim's backhand drive

About playing 2011 AO finalist Na in the 4th round, 2011 AO champ Kim said: "It's going to be nice to play Li Na, to have last year's final again. It was such a great match for both of us to be a part of. And I wasn't around for much longer after we played last year, so when we play it'll be exactly a year."

n13 s12 Serena Williams USA d n92 Greta Arn HUN 6-1, 6-1 Sat

Greta and Serena driving forehands

Serena said: "I'm okay with how I'm going. I've had tough practices. You know, it's okay. I mean, I'm pretty experienced so I kind of know what the feeling of having tough matches is, having simple matches is." postmatch interview

n14 s13 Jelena Jankovic SRB d n43 Christina McHale USA 6-2, 6-0 Fri

Christina following a forehand, and Jelena driving a backhand

Jelena said: "[Christina] is very young, but she hits a really good ball and she has great potential. There were some really tough games in the beginning. There were some games on my serve that lasted nine, 10 minutes. I was able to save a lot of break points and play pretty well in crucial times."

In the 4th round on Sunday, Jelena will face #1 Caroline Wozniacki. Jelena leads Caroline 4-3 in career matches. However, JJ won their first four encounters, and Caro won their last three, all in 2011. Their most recent meeting was on red clay last year in the quarterfinals in Rome, when Caroline defeated 2-time Italian Open champion Jelena, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.

Jelena said: "Caroline is a very solid player. She really doesn't give you anything. The last year or so, I wasn't playing so great. I had a few injuries and wasn't really confident with my game. I think that played a huge part in my tennis overall—not just against Wozniacki, throughout the whole year against different players. But now I'm feeling pretty good. I feel motivated again.
"It's going to be a tough one. I'm going to go out there and hit my shots, do what I do best. I'll really give it a go. We'll see what happens."

n15 s14 Sabine Lisicki GER d n19 s18 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 Sat

Svetlana and Sabine driving forehand and backhand

n22 s21 Ana Ivanovic SRB d n65 Vania King USA 6-3, 6-4 Sat

Vania and Ana driving forehand and backhand, and Ana after match point

Ana said: "Really happy to close out that second set because it was really up and down. It was tough set. [Vania] was playing really well. But I'm really happy I managed to survive that last game...
"I caught a bug a couple days ago, after my second round match. I wasn't feeling really good yesterday. So I had to take it really easy. Today I felt fine. Just started to get a little nauseous again in that second set. Then I just took some tablets and it really helped to calm things down a bit." postmatch interview

n23 s22 Julia Goerges GER d n82 Romina Oprandi ITA 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 Fri

Julia driving a forehand

n46 Iveta Benesova CZE d n136 q Nina Bratchikova RUS 6-1, 6-3 Fri

Iveta ready to slice a backhand

n47 Sara Errani ITA d n60 Sorana Cirstea ROU 6(6)-7, 6-0, 6-2 Sat

Sorana and Sara driving backhands

Sara said: ""I've never been to the fourth round, so I'm very happy for this. I did some very good physical work in the winter. I also changed racquets—it wasn't easy, but I'm feeling my shots better. It's helping me on the court."

About her 4th round opponent, Zheng Jie, Sara said: "[Jie is] playing incredible this year. She already won a tournament, so it will be tough for sure. We'll see how it goes tomorrow. I just want to rest and get some energy, then think about the match." WTA story

Australian Open, 4th Rd, Sun-Mon 11am
loser: AUD$109,250, 280 points
n1 s1 Caroline Wozniacki DEN d n14 s13 Jelena Jankovic SRB 6-0, 7-5 Sun

Jelena driving a forehand, Caroline following one, and after match point

Caroline said: "I was really happy about the way I played, especially in the first set and a half... I knew [Jelena] was a fighter and it wasn't going to be easy. I'm just happy to be here as the winner of the match. I felt like I played some really good tennis out there today." postmatch interview

Jelena said: "[Caroline] was very solid off the baseline. She was not giving me anything, and especially in the first set I was making errors and errors. I couldn't play those long, long rallies, and I was always the first one to kind of give up on the balls and make the mistakes. I saw the statistics after the match. I had 50 unforced errors [with 26 winners] and she had 15 [with 12 winners]. That's a huge difference." postmatch interview - match stats

About playing 2011 champ Kim Clijsters in the quarterfinals, Caroline said: "I think I just need to play my game and play the same way as I did today. If I do, Kim really needs to play well to beat me... Kim is a great player... I know it's her last Australian Open, so I'm sure she will give everything... She can come back from any score. No, it's going to be a tough one. I'm excited about it and I'm looking forward to it."

n2 s2 Petra Kvitova CZE d n22 s21 Ana Ivanovic SRB 6-2, 7-6(2) Mon

Ana and Petra driving forehand and backhand, and Petra after match point

Petra said: "I am happy that I won the second set because in the end it was very tough to come back. I lucky that I'm not playing a third set." postmatch interview

Ana said: "I really struggled with the rhythm in the beginning. [Petra] is tough opponent. You really have to get that hit on the ball, otherwise she likes to dominate and step up and take her chances.
"In the second set I started to serve a lot better, which helped me to come to 1-All, 2-All. Then I really fought back hard trying to come back and started to strike the ball a lot better. It was just really pity that I didn't use opportunities I had.
"But she served really well. You know, she's playing well. Being lefty it's also really hard to read her serve." postmatch interview

n3 s3 Victoria Azarenka BLR d n46 Iveta Benesova CZE 6-2, 6-2 Sun

Victoria reaching for a forehand, Iveta driving one, Vika driving a backhand, and after match point

About playing Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarterfinals, Victoria said: "I have a tough match. [Agnieszka is a] very tough opponent. So just going to try stay focused and play the same way I've been playing previous rounds. That's it." postmatch interview

n4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS d n15 s14 Sabine Lisicki GER 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 Mon

Maria driving a forehand, Sabine and Maria driving backhands, and Maria after match point

Maria said: "[Sabine] played some really good tennis. I think the level was pretty high. She had some opportunities and some breakpoints. I came up with a good couple of second serves, you know, won that game, and felt pretty confident after that... Really happy to be through and a step further than last year." postmatch interview

Sabine said: "I thought it was a very good game. Unfortunately [Maria] made some great serves in the third set when I had breakpoints. Not much I could do there at that moment. She served right on the line. But I kept fighting till the very last point, and unfortunately it wasn't enough today." postmatch interview

*n12 s11 Kim Clijsters BEL d n5 s5 Na Li CHN 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 Sun

Na and Kim driving backhands, and Kim after match point

Kim won despite injuring her left ankle in the 1st set. Kim said: "[Retiring from the match] definitely crossed my mind at some point, but I knew if I could just try to kind of let the medication sink in or if I could get through the first 20 minutes, half hour, I think the pain would go away a little bit and then maybe with the adrenaline I could just fly through it. Yeah, I did, and I'm happy that I didn't give up." postmatch interview

Na said: "In the end I lost the match. This is only one thing. I think I was pretty not bad today. Just unlucky... I was play okay today. I mean, nothing worried about like technique." postmatch interview

n8 s8 Agnieszka Radwanska POL d n23 s22 Julia Goerges GER 6-1, 6-1 Sun

Agnieszka and Julia driving forehand and backhand, and Agnieszka after match point

Agnieszka said: "I really expect much longer match, much tougher. But I think I was playing very good from the beginning until the end, and I was focused on my game from the first point. And I think I was playing very well today, and very happy about that." postmatch interview

Julia said: "It was one of those days where really nothing worked. No balls went in. She made I think two unforced errors in two sets. So it's pretty tough when you go for your shots and miss them most of the time—almost all." postmatch interview

About her quarterfinal opponent, Victoria Azarenka, Agnieszka said: "I know Vika for I think ten years. We played juniors together. We're the same age, so we played a lot of matches against each other. I think it's always three sets, always tough ones. For sure I have to play my 100% to beat her."

*n54 Ekaterina Makarova RUS d n13 s12 Serena Williams USA 6-2, 6-3 Mon

Ekaterina and Serena driving backhands, Katya driving a forehand, and after match point

Ekaterina said: "I'm surprised because [Serena is] a great player and it's really tough to play against her. I just feeling so good and so focus. So I played my game, and that's it. I won against Serena. That's amazing." postmatch interview

Serena said: "I think [Ekaterina] played really well. She went for broke on a lot of her shots. I made 37 errors. That kind of tells the story of the match...
"I guess I just didn't move the way I wanted to. I tried... It was definitely harder to move to [my left] side...
"I can't even describe how I served, to be honest. It wasn't good, though. My lefty serve is actually better than that. Maybe I should have started serving lefty...
"I'm not physically 100%. So it's just like, you know, I can't be so angry at myself, even though I'm very unhappy. I know that I can play a hundred times better than I did this whole tournament, so..." postmatch interview

*n47 Sara Errani ITA d n38 Jie Zheng CHN 6-2, 6-1 Mon

Jie and Sara driving backhands, and Sara after match point

Sara said: "I think I have a game that is difficult for [Jie] to play with me I think. If I play like up ball, very high, she's in a big trouble because she go back and maybe there is more difficult. She has to run more, so... This is one thing... I play a good match and am happy for that." postmatch interview

Australian Open, QFs, Tue-Wed 11am
loser: AUD$218,500, 500 points
*n12 s11 Kim Clijsters BEL d n1 s1 Caroline Wozniacki DEN 6-3, 7-6(4) Tue

Kim driving a forehand, Caro and Kim driving backhands, and Kim after match point

About the 2nd set tiebreaker, Kim said: "I was happy with the way that I was playing. I just had to try to be a little bit more dominant again. [Caroline] stepped her game up and started serving better in that second set. We both played a really good tiebreaker. I mean, no unforced errors. We really went for our shots and good serving and good returning. So I think it was important to stay focused one point at a time..." postmatch interview

Caroline said: "I thought Kim started off really strong. She put the pressure on me from the beginning. I made a few unforced errors that she ran away a bit in the first set. But I hung in there and I kept fighting. I did what I could, but today it wasn't enough." postmatch interview

About playing Victoria Azarenka in the semifinals, Kim said: "Tough player. Tough match. She's playing extremely well, playing with a lot of confidence, and she's going to be a completely different match than what I was up against today. Takes a lot more initiative. Hits a lot down the middle of the court, deep, hard. So it's gonna be very important to be dominant. She's improved a lot on her fitness and her movement, which was definitely a weakness in the past. She's worked on that, so she's becoming a more and more complete player. So it will be tough. I'll have to play some of my best tennis to try and beat her."

n2 s2 Petra Kvitova CZE d n47 Sara Errani ITA 6-4, 6-4 Wed

Petra and Sara driving backhands, Petra following a forehand, and after match point

Petra said: "The beginning I was a little nervous because I knew that everybody expect it will be easy match. Probably I had in my head that it's, I mean, good draw. But Sara played very well and she was great. She had a great tournament here. She has to play very well because she won the matches before, so it wasn't really easy match." postmatch interview

Sara said: "I think I play a good match. Was tough match. Was very long time. So I'm happy. I was serving good. I was playing quite good from the baseline. I had my chances. It's okay." postmatch interview

Although she lost at singles, Sara, with partner Roberta Vinci, won her doubles semifinal afterward.

About the semifinals, Petra said: "I have to play my game as always and be aggressive, but not really hectic, and be focused on every point and it's easy."

n3 s3 Victoria Azarenka BLR d n8 s8 Agnieszka Radwanska POL 6(7)-7, 6-0, 6-2 Tue

Victoria slicing a serve, Agnieszka and Victoria driving backhands, and Vika after match point

Victoria said: "I'm really happy with my win. I think it was very important to see how I could adjust after not playing really well in the first set. I completely turned it around, so I'm really, really happy about that." postmatch interview

Agnieszka said: "It was very good match, especially the first set. It was very tight. On the other side it was kind of weird because a lot of breaks. I think whole set was just breaks. Service was not the big weapon in this case. But I think it was very good one. Then I think she just start to play very aggressive and much better. I was really in trouble... I was trying. But obviously in the second set I really I think just didn't make it." postmatch interview

About playing Kim Clijsters in the semifinals, Victoria said: "Kim is great champion. She knows how to be in the situation, handle big matches... But we'll see. I just try to stay fresh out there, you know, and keep playing my game, and I'll worry about my opponent later."

n4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS d n54 Ekaterina Makarova RUS 6-2, 6-3 Wed

Maria serving, Ekaterina driving a forehand, Maria fielding a ball left-handed
(which she sometimes does while moving to her left, the grip is her 2-handed backhand with the right hand removed), and after match point

Maria said: "It was solid today. I thought [Ekaterina] was going to play really well today coming off a big win, probably her biggest in her career. It was just really important for me to not give her much of a look at the open court.
"I just really wanted to take advantage of my game and improve from the previous match. I think I stepped up when I had to." postmatch interview

Ekaterina said: "[Maria is] a great player. She played really good today, so aggressive. Maybe I couldn't show my best tennis because she all the time pushing me. I missed a lot of easy balls because I need to make maybe more harder. But I think she played really good today... For sure I should move her and let her run. Sometimes I didn't make that good today because she played so aggressive and pushed me all the time. It was difficult." postmatch interview

About playing Petra Kvitova in the semifinals, Maria said: "It will certainly be tough. I've lost to her the last couple of times—obviously the big one in Wimbledon where she played really well. I think she's the one to beat right now, playing the best tennis in her career. Coming off of so many wins last year, I'm looking forward to the matchup. I don't like losing so many times in a row. So I'll certainly be going out there and trying to play my best."

Australian Open, SFs, Thu 1:30pm+
loser: AUD$437,000, 900 points
*n4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS d n2 s2 Petra Kvitova CZE 6-2, 3-6, 6-4

Maria serving, Petra driving a backhand, Maria driving a forehand, and after match point

Maria said: "In the first set I felt like my pace hurt [Petra] a bit. I was just really aggressive. I didn't give her a chance to really step in and do what she does really well... In the second set it was one break and I couldn't get it back. Obviously she was up a break in the third. I managed to get it back. Just hung on... that last game of the third, I really managed to get some returns back." postmatch interview

Petra said: "In the third set I served very well, and then was a game that I didn't really have like first serves or something, and she return very well in this game... I have to say that Maria play good tennis today." postmatch interview

About playing Victoria Azarenka in the final, Maria said: "[Victoria is] a really, really good player, and I haven't had great success against her in the last couple of events that we've played against each other. I'd really like to change that. It will be important to tactically play right. She makes you hit a lot of balls and she's aggressive, as well."

The winner of the final will be #1 in Monday's WTA rankings. Maria said: "For me, it's more about the Grand Slam win than the #1 ranking. That's always been the goal for me."

n3 s3 Victoria Azarenka BLR d n12 s11 Kim Clijsters BEL 6-4, 1-6, 6-3

Victoria serving, Kim and Victoria driving backhands, and Vika after reaching the first Grand Slam singles final of her career

Victoria said: "I think it was really difficult third set. There was a lot of ups and downs, but in a good way. [Kim] was coming with some incredible shots; I was really going for it. So it was really important to get that 5‑3 lead, you know, and keep on putting pressure. Of course, [I'm] really happy. You could see it after my match." postmatch interview

Kim said: "The match was very close. There were a few deciding moments where I think I maybe had a little bit of an advantage, in the third set, especially that first game where I had breakpoint. [Victoria] definitely played really well. She was playing very aggressive tennis, moving really well. So she deserved to win at the end." postmatch interview

About the final, Victoria said: "I really have to be focused on myself. Whoever's on the other side is going to make trouble, no matter who that is, and they're going to try to win. For me it's important to stay positive and stay on the same track: focused."

Australian Open, Final, Sat cRL 7:30pm
loser: AUD$1,150,000, 1400 points
winner: AUD$2,300,000, 2000 pts
n3 s3 Victoria Azarenka BLR d n4 s4 Maria Sharapova RUS 6-3, 6-0

Maria serving, Victoria running down a forehand, Maria driving a backhand, Vika and Maria following forehand and backhand,
Victoria serving, Maria launching a forehand on the run Vika driving a backhand, after match point, and Maria congratulating Victoria

Australian Open, Doubles Final, Friday cRL 4pm
losers' prize: AUD$227,250
winners' prize: AUD$454,500
*Svetlana Kuznetsova & Vera Zvonareva d s11 Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci 5-7, 6-4, 6-3

Svetlana and Vera

Australian Open, Mixed Doubles Final, Sun cRL 4:30pm
losers: AUD$67,500; winners: AUD$135,500
s8 Bethanie Mattek-Sands USA & Horia Tecau ROU d s5 Elena Vesnina RUS & Leander Paes IND 6-3, 5-7, (10-3)

Australian Open, Junior Girls Final, Sat cRL 1pm
*Taylor Townsend USA d s4 Yulia Putintseva RUS 6-1, 3-6, 6-3

Australian Open, Junior Girls' Doubles Final, Fri cSC3 m4
*Gabrielle Andrews USA & Taylor Townsend USA d s1 Irina Khromacheva RUS & Danka Kovinic MNE 5-7, 7-5, (10-6)

Australian Open, Qualifying Finals, Sat Jan 14 12:30pm qualifying prizes shown are 2009 amounts
qualifier gets 60 points; losers' prizes: q1 AUD$2860 = $2899 US 2pts q2 AUD$5710 = $5687 US 40pts q3 AUD$11,440 = $11,594 US 50pts
n116 Andrea Hlavackova CZE d n134 Caroline Garcia FRA 6-4 6-4
*n137 Alison Riske USA d n118 Alexandra Panova RUS 6-4 6-2
n124 Valeria Savinykh RUS d n145 Kurumi Nara JPN 6-3 6-3
n127 Varvara Lepchenko USA d n225 Aleksandra Krunic SRB 6-1 6-2
n133 Laura Robson GBR d n184 Olga Savchuk UKR 6-1 7-6(2)
n136 Nina Bratchikova RUS d n342 Irina Khromacheva RUS 6-3 6-4
*n194 Paula Ormaechea ARG d n139 Yvonne Meusburger AUT 6-1 6-3
n140 Stefanie Voegele SUI d n148 Michelle Larcher De Brito POR 7-5 3-6 6-4
n143 Jamie Hampton USA d n193 Kirsten Flipkens BEL 7-5 6-4
n149 Kai-Chen Chang TPE d n199 Victoria Larriere FRA 4-6 6-4 6-3
*n218 Irena Pavlovic FRA d n186 Madalina Gojnea ROU 6-1 2-0 Ret.
*n222 Maria Joao Koehler POR d n220 Julia Boserup USA 6-2 6-2

Australian Open, Withdrawals, Non-entries
n10 Andrea Petkovic GER low back stress fracture
n35 Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez ESP knee injury
n68 Alisa Kleybanova RUS underwent treatment for Hodgkin's Lymphoma, reportedly returning to play soon
n97 Anastasija Sevastova LAT
n100 Venus Williams USA Sjögren's Syndrome

The 64 doubles teams, arranged in drawsheet order; teams in red have been eliminated:
TOP HALF s1 Kveta Peschke CZE & Katarina Srebotnik SLO r2 Angelique Kerber GER & Christina McHale USA r1 Bojana Jovanovski SRB & Michaella Krajicek NED r1 Alla Kudryavtseva RUS & Ekaterina Makarova RUS QF Jie Zheng CHN & Polona Hercog SLO r3 Mathilde Johansson FRA & Pauline Parmentier FRA r1 Sofia Arvidsson SWE & Johanna Larsson SWE r1 s16 Vera Dushevina RUS & Shahar Peer ISR r2 s11 Sara Errani ITA & Roberta Vinci ITA F Tammi Patterson AUS & Storm Sanders AUS r1 Anastasia Rodionova AUS & Arina Rodionova AUS r2 Isabella Holland AUS & Sally Peers AUS r1 Shuai Peng CHN & Francesca Schiavone ITA r1 Tamira Paszek AUT & Jasmin Woehr GER r2 Anna Tatishvili GEO & Anastasiya Yakimova BLR r1 s8 Daniela Hantuchova SVK & Agnieszka Radwanska POL r3 s3 Vania King USA & Yaroslava Shvedova KAZ QF Kristina Barrois GER & Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER r1 Liga Dekmeijere LAT & Maria Kondratieva RUS r1 Bojana Bobusic AUS & Sacha Jones AUS r2 Mona Barthel GER & Anne Keothavong GBR r1 Petra Martic CRO & Kristina Mladenovic FRA r3 Kimiko Date-Krumm JPN & Shuai Zhang CHN r1 s14 Su-Wei Hsieh TPE & Galina Voskoboeva KAZ r2 s10 Iveta Benesova CZE & Barbora Zahlavova Strycova CZE r2 Akgul Amanmuradova UZB & Mariya Koryttseva UKR r1 Ksenia Pervak KAZ & Sloane Stephens USA r1 Rika Fujiwara JPN & Ayumi Morita JPN r3 Petra Cetkovska CZE & Stephanie Foretz Gacon FRA r2 Monique Adamczak AUS & Olivia Rogowska AUS r1 Magdalena Rybarikova SVK & Klara Zakopalova CZE r1 s7 Andrea Hlavackova CZE & Lucie Hradecka CZE SF		BOTTOM HALF s5 Maria Kirilenko RUS & Nadia Petrova RUS r3 Lourdes Dominguez Lino ESP & Tamarine Tanasugarn THA r1 Klaudia Jans-Ignacik POL & Urszula Radwanska POL r2 Daniella Jeflea AUS & Viktorija Rajicic AUS r1 Simona Halep ROU & Arantxa Rus NED r1 Irina-Camelia Begu ROU & Monica Niculescu ROU QF Sorana Cirstea ROU & Lucie Safarova CZE r1 s9 Natalie Grandin RSA & Vladimira Uhlirova CZE r2 s15 Raquel Kops-Jones USA & Abigail Spears USA r1 Julia Goerges GER & Kaia Kanepi EST r2 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS & Vera Zvonareva RUS Alize Cornet FRA & Olga Govortsova BLR r1 Silvia Soler-Espinosa ESP & Carla Suarez Navarro ESP r2 Chia-Jung Chuang TPE & Marina Erakovic NZL r1 Irina Falconi USA & Rebecca Marino CAN r1 s4 Gisela Dulko ARG & Flavia Pennetta ITA r3 s6 Sania Mirza IND & Elena Vesnina RUS SF Eleni Daniilidou GRE & Alexandra Panova RUS r1 Eva Birnerova CZE & Alberta Brianti ITA r2 Stephanie Bengson AUS & Tyra Calderwood AUS r1 Ashleigh Barty AUS & Laura Robson GBR r1 Dominika Cibulkova SVK & Jill Craybas USA r2 Nina Bratchikova RUS & Darija Jurak CRO r1 s12 Jarmila Gajdosova AUS & Bethanie Mattek-Sands USA r3 s13 Nuria Llagostera Vives ESP & Arantxa Parra Santonja ESP r2 Casey Dellacqua AUS & Chanelle Scheepers RSA r1 Andreja Klepac SLO & Alicja Rosolska POL r3 Kateryna Bondarenko UKR & Jelena Dokic AUS r1 Alexandra Dulgheru ROU & Virginie Razzano FRA r2 Greta Arn HUN & Olga Savchuk UKR r1 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP & Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS r1 s2 Liezel Huber USA & Lisa Raymond USA QF

(Jan 9, 2011) Former WTA #1 Venus Williams has withdrawn from the 2012 Australian Open citing ongoing health issues due to Sjögren's Syndrome, which causes fatigue and joint pain. While playing exhibition matches in December, Venus discovered that she was not yet ready to resume WTA play. Venus said: "After several months of training and treatment, I am making steady progress to top competitive form. My diet and fitness regimen have allowed me to make great strides in terms of my health and I am very close to being ready to return to WTA competition. I have every intention to return to the circuit in February." VenusWiliams.com

(May 30, 2007) The Rebound Ace courts used since 1988 for the Australian Open and the events leading up to it will be replaced, beginning in 2008, by a less cushioned surface created by the US company Plexipave, called Plexicushion, which will be installed by Aussie company William Loud. WTA story

from Hard Courts by John Feinstein (pages 47-50):

Because of the travel involved, the Australian had always been number four on the Grand Slam ladder. But it had been a solid number four. In 1974 Jimmy Connors won his first Grand Slam Title there. That same year, Evonne Goolagong beat Chris Evert in the women's final. A year later, the finals were Newcombe over Connors, and Goolagong over Martina Navratilova.
But it was getting tougher and tougher to get the players to make the trip to Australia around the Christmas holidays, which was when the tournament was held. Guarantees were beginning to push player income so high that the top players saw no reason to make the trip. Bjorn Borg never played the Australian after 1974. Connors hasn't been back since 1975. Evert didn't go for six straight years after her loss to Goolagong, and Navratilova skipped four years after her loss to Goolagong.
The tournament deteriorated quickly. Kooyong, the venerable Melbourne tennis club where the tournament was held, was a badly outdated facility. It was overcrowded and the grass was not in good shape. In fact, many players complained that on one side of center court you were actually running uphill to get to the net.
In 1978 Chris O'Neil beat Betsy Nagelsen in the women's final. The next year Barbara Jordan beat Sharon Walsh. None of these four players ever came close to a Grand Slam final again...

Philippe Chatrier, the ITF president, was extremely concerned about what he saw in Australia. He had fallen in love with the country on his first trip there as a young sportswriter in 1956. Chatrier knew that the Australian had become a Grand Slam in name only. Brian Tobin, the president of Tennis Australia, knew that, too.

...The women had upgraded their half of the tournament in the early eighties by splitting from the men. Chatrier and Tobin together convinced the Men's Tennis Council [the MTC, which controlled men's pro tennis before the ATP] to move the tournament to the last week in November. That helped a little. Then came the matter of talking the women into going back to the old two-week format.
"The women weren't too keen on that," Tobin said. "By 1980 the top women like Chrissie and Martina were coming here again and they were doing quite well on their own. But we knew to be a true Grand Slam again, we had to be a two-week tournament."
There were still major problems. Not only was Kooyong an awful facility for a major championship, it was costing Tennis Australia $1 million a year to rent. A new facility was desperately needed, but that would cost, according to estimates, $40 million. Tennis Australia just didn't have that kind of money.

...Sitting at his desk one morning, Tobin saw a small story in the paper, which noted that the government of Victoria--the state in which Melbourne is located--was looking for a site to build a new entertainment center. Tobin called John Cain, the premier of Victoria, and asked for a meeting. Perhaps there was some way for the government and Tennis Australia to build a facility together.
Cain was interested but there was an obvious problem. Grand Slam tennis tournaments were played outdoors; most entertainment events were staged indoors. It was Cain who came up with the solution. "Why not build it with a roof that opens?" he suggested.
The rest, as they say, is history.
The land chosen to build the National Tennis Center was Flinders Park... only five minutes from the heart of Melbourne... ground was broken early in 1986. (The projected cost... was about $70 million. Before it was done, the cost was more than $100 million.)

...They studied the other three Grand Slam facilities to try to figure out how to build the best possible venue... "We studied the U.S. Open site in order to see what not to do," Tobin said, laughing. They also proposed another date change to the MTC, asking that the tournament be moved to mid-January...

The MTC approved the calendar change. The last Australian Open at Kooyong was played in January 1987, and when the tennis world arrived in Melbourne the following January, it was clear that the Australian had arrived as a Grand Slam. The stadium seated fifteen thousand, with excellent sight lines everywhere. Most of the seats were in the shade, which helped even on the days when the heat was most unbearable. The women's final that year was completed with the roof closed, when it started to rain after the match had begun. The locker rooms were the roomiest in the world. The walkways were wide, and there were two ministadiums that served as courts 1 and 2. Chatrier called it "the tennis stadium of the twenty-first century."
With the new dates, everyone came to play. Steffi Graf started her Grand Slam by beating Chris Evert in the women's final... In 1990, Channel 7 would be on the air for about 120 hours during the two-week tournament.
Most of the country would be watching most of the time.

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2012 Australian Open Tennis WTA Singles Results

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WTA Jan 16-28: Australian Open

Major Skirmishes, Top Half

Major Skirmishes, Bottom Half