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Victoria Azarenka

Kerber and Azarenka Upset As Murray Survives At Roland Garros

May 24, 2016 by tennisbloggers

Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber was upset on Tuesday at the French Open by Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, highlighting the biggest upset so far this year in Paris.

Kerber, the No. 3 seed in the event, had the unfortunate luck of drawing Bertens who was on a seven match win streak and had won 18 of her last 21 matches, dating back to March.

The Dutchwoman was able to continue her good run of form into Paris, as she got off to a hot start, breaking Kerber in just her second service game of the match. From there, Bertens, the No. 58 player in the world, only lost four points on her serve to close out the set, and broke the German again for a comfortable first set win.

Kerber looked to bounce back in the second set, as she fought through getting taken to deuce in her first two service games while Bertens cruised through hers. In the sixth game of the set, though, the tides appeared to turn as Bertens played one poor service game and Kerber jumped all over it, breaking at love for her first lead of the match. Bertens was able to break back in the next game, but Kerber kept her composure and broke once more before closing out the set comfortably, taking the match to a decider.

Bertens didn’t let the disappointment of dropping the second set get to her and, unlike most upset bids, was able to stave off the late fight of the more experienced player. Bertens broke in Kerber’s first service game of the third set, but Kerber certainly did not allow her to cruise to the win. While serving at 3-1, Bertens fought off two break points to hold before saving one more at 5-3, as she was able to close out the match and book her spot in the second round.

Berten’s opponent in the next round will be Camila Giorgi of Italy, who defeated Frenchwoman Alize Lim, 6-3, 6-2.

Another notable player to exit the French Open was No. 5 seed Victoria Azarenka, as she was forced to retire while losing in the third set against Karin Knapp with a knee injury.

On the men’s side, Andy Murray was able to fight back from two sets to love down in his match that was suspended from Monday against Radek Stepanek, 3-6, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, 7-5. After dropping the first two sets to the experienced Czech, Murray fought back to win the third set and was up 4-2 when play had to be stopped for the night.

When play resumed on Tuesday, Murray was able to close out the fourth set, saving two break points along the way, and force a deciding fifth set that was much tougher than he would have hoped.

Murray had very few problems on his serve throughout the set, but Stepanek fought hard on his service games and gave the Brit very little to work with. That was the case until he served at 5-5 and Murray was finally able to break through, breaking at 30-40 for the chance to close out the match.

Murray, the No. 2 seed, was taken to deuce by Stepanek, but was able to close out the win in the end and force a matchup with French wild card Mathias Bourgue in the second round.

 

Angelique Kerber
Angelique Kerber

Filed Under: Blogs, Featured Columns, Latest News, Lead Story Tagged With: Andy Murray, angelique kerber, Victoria Azarenka

Angelique Kerber “Upsets” Victoria Azarenka To Reach Aussie Open Semifinals

January 27, 2016 by tennisbloggers

by Kevin Craig

@KCraig_Tennis

Angelique Kerber fought her way into the semifinals of the Australian Open on Wednesday when she beat Victoria Azarenka, 6-3, 7-5. Despite being the higher seed, Kerber was the underdog in the eyes of many tennis fans. Azarenka had been in great form to start off 2016 after winning the title in Brisbane and not losing a set in her first four matches at the Australian Open, along with the fact that she held a 6-0 record against Kerber, but the German proved why she is the higher ranked player and now has the opportunity to make her first grand slam final.

Kerber got off to a hot start in the quarterfinal as she broke Azarenka at love in the opening game of the match before grabbing another break and running out to a 4-0 lead. Azarenka, though, had been making Kerber’s service games tough as well, as she had a break point in Kerber’s first service game and then was able to get one of the two breaks back and brought the score to 4-3. When Kerber served at 4-3, Azarenka had two more break chances in a game that lasted 16 points, but could not capitalize and ended up losing the game, before being broken in the next game to drop the set.

The tides appeared to turn in the favor of Azarenka in the second set as she broke in the opening game and got out to a quick 2-0 lead. Neither player had much trouble on their serves until Azarenka saw a break point on Kerber’s serve at 4-2 and took advantage of it to take a double break lead at 5-2. While trying to serve out the set and take the match to a third set, Azarenka got up 40-0 before losing five points in a row to get broken. She had another opportunity to close out the set at 5-4 and was up 40-15, but again ended up being broken thanks to the resilience from Kerber, combined with a hesitant style of play from Azarenka. With the German back on serve at 5-5, she held comfortably before applying pressure on the Azarenka serve again and breaking to close out the match for the straight sets win.

A major problem for Azarenka, clearly, was her inability to defend her serve. Kerber won more than half of the points in Azarenka’s service games, including 62 percent of her second serve points. Kerber’s steady play was also a huge factor, as she limited her unforced errors to 16 while she hit 31 winners.

Kerber became the first German to reach the Australian Open semifinals since 1998 and will go on to face Johanna Konta for a spot in the Australian Open final after Konta beat Zhang Shuai in straight sets in their quarterfinal match.

Angelique Kerber
Angelique Kerber

Filed Under: Archives, Blogs, Featured Columns, Latest News, Lead Story, Live Coverage Tagged With: angelique kerber, Australian Open, Victoria Azarenka

Djokovic Wins 60th Title, Reaches Final of Every Tournament in 52 Weeks – Passing Shots with Kevin Craig

January 10, 2016 by tennisbloggers

by Kevin Craig

@KCraig_Tennis

  • In Doha, Novak Djokovic was able to win the title (the 60th of his career) and reach his 16th consecutive final, making it so that in the past 52 weeks, Djokovic has been to the final of every tournament he has played. Djokovic did not drop a set all week and was only taken beyond 6-3 twice, including a 6-1, 6-2 win over Rafael Nadal in the final. In a simple recipe for success for the week, Djokovic won 77% of his first serve points and broke his opponents a total of 20 times.
  • Victoria Azarenka won her first title since August 2013 as she defeated Angelique Kerber in the final in Brisbane. Azarenka was not taken beyond 6-3 in a set all week as she was able to break her opponents 29 times. The win sets up Azarenka for a Top 16 seed at the Australian Open.
  • Stan Wawrinka won his third consecutive title in Chennai by defeating Borna Coric 6-3, 7-5. Wawrinka did not drop a set in four matches and was only broken once all week as he hit 41 aces. Wawrinka is now 8-0 in titles since the start of the 2014 season, including his wins at the 2014 Australian Open and the 2015 French Open. Before 2014, Wawrinka was just 4-9 in finals.
  • Taylor Fritz won his third challenger title by defeating Dudi Sela 7-6, 6-2 in Happy Valley. The win made Fritz’s career challenger record 22-5 and was his fourth Top 100 win. Fritz’s ranking at the start of the 2015 season was 1151, but this win will boost his ranking to about 154, just shy of a 1000 spot improvement from a year ago.
  • Sloane Stephens won her second career title by defeating Julia Goerges 7-5, 6-2, while fellow American Alison Riske made the final in Shenzhen, losing out to Agnieszka Radwanska. Previously to this week, no American woman had made the final of a tournament in the first week of the season since Lindsay Davenport made the final of Auckland in 2008.
  • Also in Doha, Illya Marchenko made his first ATP semifinal since 2010 in St. Petersburg. Along the way, Marchenko was able to beat David Ferrer, Teymuraz Gabashvili, and Jeremy Chardy. The win against Ferrer was his first Top 10 win in five tries.
  • Thomas Fabbiano won his first ATP main draw matches as he made the quarterfinals in Chennai after making it through qualies. In the second round, Fabbiano beat Gilles Muller 6-4, 7-5, and managed to break the big server four times, despite Muller hitting 14 aces and winning 79% of his first serve points. The quarterfinal run will allow Fabbiano to reach a new career high ranking of 142.
  • Go Soeda made the final of the Bangkok Challenger, making 2016 the 11th consecutive year that he has made a challenger final, dating back to 2006. He fell to Mikhail Youzhny, 6-3, 6-4, as Youzhny continues his attempt to rejoin the Top 100.
  • In Brisbane, Samantha Crawford made her first WTA semifinal in just her fifth main draw appearance. Crawford got her first two Top-25 wins by defeating Belinda Bencic and Andrea Petkovic. Throughout her qualifying and main draw matches, the big hitting American hit 64 aces and won 73% of her first serve points as she prepares for her appearance at the Australian Open via a wild card.

    Novak Djokovic
    Novak Djokovic

Filed Under: Archives, Blogs, Featured Columns, Latest News, Lead Story Tagged With: Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Victoria Azarenka

Victoria Azarenka Withdraws from Miami

March 22, 2013 by Victoria Chiesa

Victoria Azarenka, a two-time champion, withdrew from Miami on Friday.

Two-time champion and No. 2 seed Victoria Azarenka was forced to withdraw from the Sony Open in Miami on Friday with a right ankle injury, the same injury that forced her out of her quarterfinal match with Caroline Wozniacki in Indian Wells.
“It’s just I wanted to give my 100% possibility to play, and today was my last test. It’s just, you know, the last two days I tried to practice on it, which did not get better,” Azarenka said.
Azarenka, the Australian Open and Qatar Total Open champion, is 17-0 in 2013. “I tried to play on Wednesday for the first time after Indian Wells, and the next day my foot got a little bit worse. I tried to play again yesterday and it got a little bit worse again. Today it got worse again during the play. So yesterday I thought that, you know, possibly I’m not going to be able to play. Today I went on the court and I got more pain. I cannot really move.”
Azarenka is scheduled to headline the field in Monterrey, Mexico, a WTA International-level event that begins on April 1; she is to be joined there by Angelique Kerber, Marion Bartoli and Maria Kirilenko. “Right now on the schedule is Monterrey, but I have no—I have not made my decision on that.” Should Azarenka withdraw from the event, it would not be the first time that the tournament deals with the loss of a marquee player in its field; last season, Serena Williams committed to the event but withdrew due to a left knee injury.
Beyond Monterrey, Azarenka is looking ahead to the European clay court season and Roland Garros. “I’m going to have a longer preparation than usual for my clay season. My biggest target is going to be French Open, so I’m going to do everything I can to be ready, and, you know, to make sure that I come in in the best form there and try to win the title.”
For a player of her status, Azarenka has rarely been a consistent factor at the second major of the year. She owns a meager 14-7 career record in Paris in seven appearances. In 2009, arguably her breakthrough season, Azarenka had her best result at the clay court slam. She defeated defending champion Ana Ivanovic in the fourth round before falling to eventual finalist Dinara Safina in a three-set quarterfinal match, her first quarterfinal appearance at a major. Azarenka matched that feat in 2011, where she fell to Li Na, the eventual champion, in straight sets.
Movement on clay is key for any player, but more so for Azarenka; the Belarusian is not naturally quick even at full flight, but anticipates the game well. She does not possess a huge serve or outright firepower that would assist her in hitting through the slow conditions. 15 of Azarenka’s 16 career titles have come on hard courts; she was the champion in Marbella, on clay, in 2011.
In order to contend at Roland Garros, Azarenka needs to be in top form and healthy to compensate for her short comings and low comfort level on the surface. Last year, Azarenka was bundled off the court by Dominika Cibulkova in the fourth round, a match in which Azarenka was rarely the aggressor.
Azarenka is currently not entered in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart in April, where she reached the final last year. She is entered in both the Mutua Madrid Open and the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in May. No doubt aware of her past struggles at Roland Garros, Azarenka was asked to rate her chances at the event this season if healthy. “I think there is going to be two tournaments before that on clay. You will see me play and then everybody will make their own decisions.”
Azarenka was replaced by lucky loser Lauren Davis, who had lost in the final round of qualifying to Mallory Burdette. Davis eventually saved three match points en route to defeating fellow American teenager Madison Keys, 6-1, 5-7, 7-6(7).

Filed Under: Lead Story, Victoria Chiesa Tagged With: ankle injury, injury, miami tennis, sony open, Victoria Azarenka, withdrawal

2013 Sony Open Players' Party Red Carpet Arrivals

March 20, 2013 by tennisbloggers

MIAMI, FL (March 20, 2013) — The Sony Open Players’ Party took place on Tuesday evening at the prestigious JW Marriott Marquis in downtown Miami with world-renowned DJ Calvin Harris spinning tracks, and as usual, the players came out in full glam and force. Check at bottom to see who our pick for “Best Dressed” of the night was! (Click images to enlarge)
As one of the first to arrive, Slovak stunner and last year’s ESPN Body Issue cover girl, Daniela Hantuchova turned heads in a flirty white summer dress.

Andreas Seppi looked cool and casual in a Euro-style shirt and v-neck black sweater.

After doing a spunky couples’ look last week for the BNP Paribas Open Players’ Party, this week Tomas Berdych and his girlfriend Ester Satarova went for opposite looks. Ester in an off-the-shoulder orange/pink find and Tomas spiced up the military cargo print in luscious satin fabric.

Sugarpova queen Maria Sharapova — who just launched four new flavors, including her new favorite “Quirky Sour!” — looked elegant in a purple floral number and matching earrings.

The fabulous Jelena Jankovic has always been known to push the envelope when it came to extravagant Players’ Party ensembles and she didn’t disappoint, looking fiery in a bright orange sheer silhouette. The aqua accents bring just the right amount of kick!

Reigning Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka may not have had RedFoo at her side, but she didn’t travel solo either. Here she is with a mystery lady friend, with both working the camera angles. Looking fierce, ladies!

There was one power couple on hand for the Players’ Party, and they couldn’t take their eyes off each other! Caroline Wozniacki and pro golfer Rory McIlroy came hand-in-hand looking relaxed. They may want to re-check the spelling of Rory’s last name though — oops!

Elena Vesnina came out as the “lady in red” and looked every bit the part — gorgeous!

Next on the red carpet was world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and longtime girlfriend and natural beauty Jelena Ristic. A spirited Novak spiced up the simple blazer look with palm trees, and Jelena accessorized with a stunning blue suede clutch.

Defending Sony Open champ Agnieszka Radwanska turned heads in a short lacy black number and Louis Vuitton pale clutch. She has said that she loves doing her own hair and makeup and those eyelashes are out of this world — stunning!

Heather Watson may have lost in the first round already, but that didn’t stop her from glaming up her look and enjoying the evening in hot pink glasses style!

David Ferrer hit the red carpet with his other half and, as usual, they kept to their relaxed and happy red carpet style.

Janko Tipsarevic hit the arrivals line with beautiful wife Biljana, and both seemed to be having a good time even before the DJ started spinning tracks.

Drum roll, please! It’s time to announce Tennis Grandstand’s pick for “Best Dressed,” and it’s none other than Slovak beauty Dominika Cibulkova! Not only was the hair perfectly coifed, and the black dress and red Louis Vuitton clutch on point, but the heels were to die for! No, really, she could probably take someone out with those spikes! Beautifully-assembled look.


That’s it from this year’s Sony Open red carpet arrivals! Stay tuned for photos from Tuesday’s Miami Seaquarium player excursion and also match play from this week!

Filed Under: Lead Story Tagged With: Agnieszka Radwanska, Caroline Wozniacki, Dominika Cibulkova, heather watson, Jelena Jankovic, Maria Sharapova, Novak Djokovic, Sony Open Player Party, Sony Open red carpet, tennis photos, tennis red carpet, Tomas Berdych, Victoria Azarenka

Keys to Biscayne: Miami WTA Draw Preview

March 19, 2013 by Chris Skelton

Maria wants a double. Aga wants a defense. Will either get her wish?

While the men’s draw has suffered from marquee withdrawals by Federer and Nadal, the women’s draw in Miami witnesses the return of world #1 Serena Williams and Australian Open finalist Li Na to North American hard courts.  They have landed in the same quarter of the Sony Open draw, with which we start our women’s preview.
First quarter:  Since she won Brisbane to start 2013, Serena’s season has not gone as she would have hoped.  Injury and illness have contributed to losses at the Australian Open and Doha, so she will hope to regroup from those setbacks at her home tournament, which she has dominated when healthy.  More successful here than almost anywhere else, Serena should deploy her serve to devastating effect against the meager return games of her first few opponents.  Italian veteran Flavia Pennetta would have wished for a better draw than facing the world #1 in the second round, while potential fourth-round opponent Dominika Cibulkova should find her height and wingspan too limited to cope with this level of first-strike power.  Somewhat more intriguing is the prospect of Lucie Safarova, a lefty more capable of matching Serena hold for hold when at her best, but her results have remained too erratic to depend on her reaching the fourth round.
On the opposite side of the quarter, an intriguing draw would pit Indian Wells runner-up Wozniacki against Australian Open runner-up Li in the fourth round, a rematch of some scintillating three-setters that the two have played on outdoor hard courts.  Neither faces too intimidating a challenge before that stage, although the former might take note of surging Spanish phenom Garbine Muguruza.  That rising star reached the fourth round of Indian Wells as a qualifier and easily could upset the reeling Pavlyuchenkova in the second round to reach Wozniacki in the third.  But the Dane should have taken more confidence from her finals appearance in the desert than from her resounding defeat to Sharapova there.  She should weather the test posed by Muguruza and probably also the challenge presented by Li, who has not played since her outstanding January campaign.  The Chinese star may need some matches to regain her rhythm after so long an absence and so severe an injury.  If Wozniacki does meet Serena in the quarterfinals, the top seed likely would relish the opportunity to avenge a miserable loss to the same opponent at the same stage last year.
Semifinalist:  Serena
Second quarter:  Defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska could not have drawn a much more challenging route to a repeat performance in Miami, nor did her performance over the last two weeks inspire much confidence in her.  More impressive on a similar surface at Indian Wells, Mona Barthel will train her huge serve and return weapons against the Pole in the third round.  Perhaps more compelling for local fans is the third-round meeting between Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens, who personify the past and future of American women’s tennis.  The latter woman has not built upon her Australian Open semifinal in recent weeks, however, struggling with an abdominal injury and exiting Indian Wells in her first match.  Venus, who has not played since Sharapova demolished her in Melbourne, has shared her sister’s history of success at their home tournament but fell to Radwanska here a year ago.
If she can survive the imposing serves in her immediate vicinity, Radwanska can expect little reprieve in the quarterfinals.  The highest-ranked woman who could meet her there, Petra Kvitova, dismantled her with ease last month in Dubai and reached her first Indian Wells quarterfinal last week.  On the other hand, Kvitova never has distinguished herself in Miami and will have some obstacles of her own to surmount before she can reach Radwanska.  Among them is Marion Bartoli, knocking on the door of the top ten again and more successful here than Kvitova.  The double-fister suffered a surprising loss to Errani in the desert, but her competitive tenacity could allow her to exploit the Czech’s inevitable episodes of erratic play.  One of the most intriguing unseeded players in the draw, Andrea Petkovic aims to reawaken the memories of her 2011 semifinal run in Miami.  She faces a stern series of opening tests against Bojana Jovanovski, Bartoli, and Julia Goerges before she even reaches Kvitova.  From this unpredictable section of the draw, an unexpected semifinalist could emerge.
Semifinalist:  Er, Kvitova?
Third quarter:  One match short of the Indian Wells-Miami double in 2006, Maria Sharapova eyes a comfortable route to position herself at least within range of that accomplishment.  She has not lost a set to anyone but Serena in her last two tournaments, cruising to the desert title without any physically or emotionally arduous matches that would have drained her energy.  Many women would suffer a hangover after capturing a title of that magnitude, but the career Grand Slam champion has grown sufficiently accustomed to achievements on that level to avoid such a lapse.  Even if she did, early rounds against Vesnina or an assortment of qualifiers and wildcards should not threaten her.  A rematch of the Indian Wells semifinal might loom in the fourth round, but Kirilenko may struggle to sustain her Indian Wells form.  The only woman to win a set from Sharapova at Roland Garros last year, Klara Zakopalova could inconvenience her on one of her more inconsistent days.
For the second straight Premier Mandatory tournament, Sara Errani would await Sharapova in the quarterfinals.  Despite the Italian’s ability to reach that stage at Indian Wells, she may find her path more complicated this time.  The massive serve of Sabine Lisicki, always fragile and always dangerous, could produce a stark contrast of styles if she meets Errani in the third round.  But the third-round match below offers more intrigue, for it should pit Ivanovic against either Makarova or former Miami champion Kuznetsova.  Gifted shot-makers all, those three women will look to stay patient on the slow hard court and bounce back from Indian Wells disappointments.  They must stay even more patient against Errani than each other, but each might have a stronger chance than the Italian to trouble Sharapova because of their greater capacity to finish points.  It is hard to imagine the world #2 stumbling early if she sustains her Indian Wells form, though.
Semifinalist:  Sharapova
Fourth quarter:  Will she or won’t she?  The question hovers over the status of Victoria Azarenka, a two-time Miami champion who withdrew from Indian Wells with an ankle injury.  Having glanced at her draw and seen the heavy serve of Madison Keys in her opener, Vika may feel some trepidation about testing that joint in a match where she will need her movement to shine.  Afterwards, she could meet a group of slow-court specialists like Cornet, Vinci, or Suarez Navarro.  Climbing the rankings regularly in recent weeks, the Spaniard showcases the finest one-handed backhand among the seeded women here.  Together with Keys on the list of home hopes, Christina McHale continues to regroup slowly from her mono last year.  She led eventual Indian Wells semifinalist Kirilenko by a set and a break, so she should feel encouraged by her progress.  Young British hope Laura Robson rounds out this section’s crop of rising stars.
Veterans proliferate in the upper half of this section, from Jankovic and Petrova to Zheng and Schiavone.  Indian Wells semifinalist Kerber will need to raise her spirits following a dispiriting loss to Wozniacki in which she seemed firmly in control and battled to the bitter end.  If she can, none of the opponents in this section should match her blend of alert anticipation and lefty shot-making, although Sorana Cirstea flickered into form at Indian Wells by winning a set from Radwanska.  A finalist in Miami during her prime, Jankovic did not bring her momentum from winning the Bogota clay tournament to North America and struggles to string together strong results.  Of greater note is the eleventh-seeded Petrova, remarkable still near the elite in singles and doubles despite her age.  This section remains difficult to predict as long as Azarenka’s status is uncertain, but Kerber looks poised to take advantage of a lapse by the Australian Open champion.
Semifinalist:  Kerber
***
Check back tomorrow for a similar look at the men’s draw in Miami.

Filed Under: Chris Skelton, Lead Story, Live Coverage Tagged With: Agnieszka Radwanska, angelique kerber, Caroline Wozniacki, key biscayne, li na, Maria Sharapova, miami tennis, Petra Kvitova, Premier Mandatory, Sara Errani, Serena Williams, sony open, Victoria Azarenka, WTA

Turning the Corner: Twelve Questions for the Week Ahead in Indian Wells

March 11, 2013 by Chris Skelton

See you again next year? Same place, (almost) same time?

In the early stages of a draw as large as Indian Wells, more questions often are asked than answered as we learn just enough to know what we don’t know—and what we want to know.  Here are twelve burning questions to ponder while the core of the tournament approaches.
1.      Will Federer and Nadal meet for the first time in a year?
For the first time since their rivalry took flight, the archrivals did not clash on clay or grass last season.  By placing them in the same quarter, the draw gods have done their best to ensure that they will meet at Indian Wells for the second straight year.  Especially promising is Federer’s path, for only Ivan Dodig and the winner of Hewitt vs. Wawrinka stand between a Swiss star who looked crisp in his opening demolition of Denis Istomin.  Nadal’s route looks generally benign as well on paper, but the surging Ernests Gulbis could pose a severe test if he can keep up the form that has carried him through his longest winning streak ever.
2.      Will Azarenka and Wozniacki meet for the first time in two years?
The two BFFs last faced each other on this court in 2011, when Wozniacki held the #1 ranking and Azarenka faced serious questions about her physical and emotional durability.  How times have changed since then.  Now, Wozniacki must field questions about her continued relevance as a contender, while Azarenka has become the face of the WTA’s new generation (albeit not always the face that the WTA would want).  What makes this potential quarterfinal between the last two Indian Wells champions intriguing is Wozniacki’s former control of their rivalry, which seemed not so much technical as psychological.  Still undefeated this year, Vika looks nearly certain to reach that rendezvous if she can keep injuries at bay.  Chronic nemesis Goerges still might intercept Caro, as might a revived Petrova.
3.      Can Berdych take care of business?
As if the weakest quarter in the men’s draw needed to get any weaker, Kevin Anderson upset the only serious threat to the Czech in David Ferrer.  With his route to the semifinals wide open, Berdych need not worry about anyone more dangerous than Gasquet.  The Frenchman does happen to be rather dangerous at the moment, granted, since he has won two (small) titles this year and should prosper on the slow surface.  But Berdych also has enjoyed a consistent season to date, so his superior weapons leave him in control of his own destiny.
4.      Can Sharapova take care of business?
Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino.  Sara Errani.  Marion Bartoli.  None of these potential pre-semifinal opponents ever has defeated Sharapova, and only once has any of them threatened her.  That occasion did come recently at last year’s US Open, when Bartoli won the first set before Maria stormed back.  All the same, the 2006 champion should overwhelm the Spanish journeywoman in the fourth round and rely on her dominance over those rivals to reach a third straight semifinal in the desert.  Even without her best form against a top-25 opponent, Suarez Navarro, she eased through in straight sets by—as usual—growing more aggressive rather than less when the match could have tilted in either direction.
5.      Should Murray’s fans be concerned?
After an easy third-round assignment, the competition will get stiff for the Scot as Nishikori and Del Potro loom.  With those obstacles ahead, Murray would have benefited from a strong and efficient start to the tournament, but he didn’t get it in a three-set scare against Evgeny Donskoy.  While the Russian has plenty of talent and ambition, he is not the sort of player expected to trouble one of the Big Four.  Anybody and everybody has troubled Murray here recently, though, for he dropped seven consecutive sets at Indian Wells between a 2010 quarterfinal and the first set of his  opener here.  Hangovers from Australian Open disappointment have hampered him emotionally in those appearances, so his body language will bear watching if more sustained adversity arises.  That said, he matches up extremely well to Nishikori and Del Potro, neither of whom ever has defeated him on a hard court.
6.      Should Radwanska’s fans be concerned?
The sun of Indian Wells usually has not shone brightly on Radwanska, usually more successful at the tournament’s sequel in Miami.  But her draw looks more comfortable than it often does, or at least it did until she toiled for two and a half hours to suppress Sorana Cirstea in the third round.  The type of player whom Radwanska tends to dismantle with ease, the erratic yet powerful Romanian hit through her surprisingly often considering the court speed and her defensive skills.  Radwanska also twice failed to serve out the match in the third set once she had reversed the momentum, a strange lapse for someone who has established herself as a fine competitor over the last eighteen months.  Her next two projected opponents, Kirilenko and Kvitova, have spelled trouble for her at significant events before.
7.      Which Novak will show up?
This question would have sounded ridiculous a set and a half into what looked like a humiliating rout of Fabio Fognini.  When Djokovic threw away the second set and did not immediately reassert himself in the third, some eyebrows raised over this extended lapse.  Also suggesting competitive fatigue was a minor altercation over a time violation warning that he received.  Djokovic is not nearly as dangerous a player when his head is not in the right place, and early signs of trouble historically have spelled trouble later in the draw.  If the man who smoothly struck every shot in the book during the first set returns, however, he will remain the title favorite.  Djokovic may have time to collect himself, for his next two opponents do not look intimidating, nor did quarterfinal foe Tsonga in his convoluted victory over Blake.
8.      Which Petra will show up?
Always a woman of two sides, Kvitova brought her bad version to the Australian hard courts and her good version to the Persian Gulf.  As remarkable as it sounds, the same woman who won two games from Cibulkova one month came within two games of knocking off Serena (and demolished Radwanska) the next.  More of a lamb than a lion in March recently, Kvitova showed some of both extremes in a three-set victory over the pedestrian Govortsova and a third-round battle with a qualifier that nearly reached a third set as well.  She can contend for the title as convincingly as anyone, especially with her past success against Azarenka, but every opponent whom she faces should enter that match knowing that they have a chance.
9.      Can a former US Open champion prove himself (again)?
When he knocked off Nadal and Federer in succession to win the 2009 US Open, Del Potro looked like the next big thing for the ATP.  He still could be, but the odds of his becoming one of his generation’s great champions grow slimmer with every season since his wrist surgery in which the Big Four and even players like Ferrer throttle him.  One of the few men who has won a major but not a Masters 1000 tournament, Del Potro may need to walk before he can run.  In the peaceful environment of Indian Wells, where he has produced strong results before, he should take heart from the early frailty displayed by Djokovic and Murray.
10.   Can a former US Open champion prove herself (again)?
Compared to Stosur’s recent results, those of Del Potro look positively brilliant.  The 2011 US Open champion has not won a title since that miraculous breakthrough against Serena, and winning a single match lay beyond her abilities early in 2013.  Unlike most players who win a major, the Aussie drew no fresh confidence from her achievement.  The good news is that she finally has strung together a few victories in her recent tournaments, and a commanding victory over Keys showed form that could prove good enough to carry her through the weakest quarter in the women’s draw.  When she last faced Azarenka at the US Open, Stosur extended her to a third-set tiebreak.  Who knows what could happen in a semifinal against her if she accumulates some momentum before then?
11.   Who will be the last American man standing?
There are two candidates left at this stage:  Mardy Fish and Sam Querrey.  Both find themselves uncomfortably close to Djokovic, never  a good place to be.  Fish is just grateful to have started to play matches again after his health scares, and anyone who believes that Querrey can become the next great American champion probably just clicked on an email from Nigeria.  That said, the Californian deserves credit for surviving the elephantine serve of Ivo Karlovic, and it will be intriguing to see how he handles bearing the mantle of the top-ranked man from a nation frustrated with its tennis underachievement.
12.   Who will be the last American woman standing?
Well, let’s take a look at the options.  There’s Stephens and,…oh, she lost already?  Anyway, there’s Keys, who…she’s gone too?  Maybe Christina McHale with…hmm, Kirilenko came back?  Time to do a Ctrl+F for USA on the women’s draw.
1 match.  Jamie Hampton.
***
Enjoy the rest of the tournament, and feel free to suggest answers for questions 1-11 in the comments.

Filed Under: Chris Skelton, Latest News, Lead Story, Live Coverage Tagged With: Agnieszka Radwanska, Andy Murray, ATP, BNP Paribas Open, Caroline Wozniacki, indian wells tennis, Juan Martin del Potro, Maria Sharapova, Novak Djokovic, Petra Kvitova, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Samantha Stosur, Tomas Berdych, Victoria Azarenka, WTA

Serves' Up! Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Ivanovic, Azarenka Take Part in IWTG Groundbreaking

March 8, 2013 by tennisbloggers

March 8, 2013 — Tennis top stars and past BNP Paribas Open champions Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Ana Ivanovic and Victoria Azarenka took part in the groundbreaking for the Indian Wells Tennis Garden expansion project on Friday.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, BNP Paribas Open tournament owner Larry Ellison, Ana Ivanovic, Victoria Azarenka, and Novak Djokovic

The official groundbreaking ceremony involved numerous local dignitaries, including BNP Paribas Open tournament CEO Raymond Moore as well as Indian Wells mayor Mary Roche. WTA CEO Stacey Allaster was also on hand.
Ana Ivanovic, Victoria Azarenka, Larry Ellison, WTA CEO Stacey Allaster



Back in February, the Desert Sun reported that the Indian Wells City Council approved the plans for the $70 million expansion project on the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Plans are in place for a new 8,000-seat stadium with 2,000 parking spaces. Construction is expected to begin following the 2013 event, March 17. Officials expect the 10-month project to increase the fan capacity for the two-week event to 500,000 in 2014.



After the official groundbreaking, the first serves on site were made with the players in-line and aiming directly for the media. It’s every tennis players’ dream to peg the media, right? Serves’ up!


(Photos: Getty Images and Reuters)

Filed Under: Lead Story Tagged With: Ana Ivanovic, BNP Paribas Open, indian wells tennis garden expansion groundbreaking project, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Victoria Azarenka

Disco in the Desert: Indian Wells Players' Party

March 8, 2013 by tennisbloggers

Players like Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and Victoria Azarenka took time out of their busy schedules on Thursday evening to walk the “green” carpet at the IW Club for the annual BNP Paribas Open players’ party. This years theme? Disco. But don’t expect many disco themed outfits. As usual, the green carpet saw everything from players in jeans and sweatshirts to mini skirts and six inch stilettos. Let us know what you think of the players’ fashion.
[nggallery id=90]

Filed Under: Andrea Lubinsky, Lead Story, Live Coverage Tagged With: Agnieszka Radwanska, Ana Ivanovic, angelique kerber, BNP Paribas Open, Fernando Verdasco, heather watson, Indian Wells, Novak Djokovic, Petra Kvitova, Player Party, Rafael Nadal, Richard Gasquet, Sloane Stephens, Victoria Azarenka

How Djokovic, Azarenka, Hantuchova and Others Prepared for the BNP Paribas Open

March 6, 2013 by tennisbloggers

The BNP Paribas Open is just under way, and with all the recent tennis festivities including the BNP Paribas Showdowns and K-Swiss Desert Smash, tennis players have been preparing for Indian Wells in a variety of fun and entertaining ways. We’ll give you the full run down on Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin del Potro, Caroline Wozniacki, Mardy Fish, Jack Sock, Daniela Hantuchova and many more!
At the K-Swiss Desert Smash, Novak Djokovic practiced his victory celebration when he partnered up with actor Jeremy Piven, while also striking some Madonna-like poses during play.


Mardy Fish and Djokovic practiced their “hanging out” skills on-court to the delight of fans.

The Bryan Brothers and Sam Querrey played some tennis, while Fernando Verdasco attempted his best Ray Charles impression.

No tennis party would be complete nowadays without some RedFoo action, so Jack Sock, Paul Henri Mathieu and French DJ Bob Sinclair posed with RedFoo for some photos after playing.

Daniela Hantuchova stood uncomfortably with the Party Rock Crew during the K-Swiss Desert Smash Player’s Party arrivals. Standing through a unique photo-op like this should prepare her for ANY awkward battles on the tennis court this week.

Speaking of Hantuchova, she and Melanie Oudin helped with the women’s main draw ceremony at the BNP Paribas Open, while Tommy Robredo helped with the men’s draw. That’s some heavy lifting of giant tennis balls there!

On the East Coast in New York City, Juan Martin del Potro gave his arm muscles a workout as he hoisted the most adorable (and talented) little girl during the BNP Paribas Showdown. The pair teamed up to play a few entertaining points against Rafael Nadal and actor Ben Stiller. (Full video here.)

Meanwhile during the Hong Kong edition of the BNP Paribas Showdown, Caroline Wozniacki improved her footwork by dancing with a dragon and a ballboy.

In London, Johnny Marray practiced his mini-tennis skills in prep for the big stage at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Two days later after participating in the BNP Paribas Showdown in New York City, Azarenka took to the Indian Wells practice courts with her boyfriend RedFoo and chatted up a storm on the sidelines.

And last, but certainly not least, Andy Murray also hit the Indian Wells practice courts for some good preparations. We can now checkmark the “Prepare” from off his t-shirt and get ready to “Attack” and “Destroy” next!

Filed Under: Lead Story Tagged With: Andy Murray, BNP Paribas Open, Caroline Wozniacki, Daniela Hantuchova, jack sock, Juan Martin del Potro, Mardy Fish, Novak Djokovic, redfoo, Tennis, Tommy Robredo, Victoria Azarenka

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