Madrid, Spain (Sports Network) - World No. 1 and 2011 runner-up Victoria
Azarenka secured a berth in the quarterfinals, while defending champion Petra
Kvitova was a stunning second-round upset victim Wednesday at the $5.190
million Madrid Open, a clay-court French Open tuneup.
The Australian Open champion Azarenka improved to a stellar 32-2 this year by
holding off 13th-seeded former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 6-4, 6-4.
The match was over in 1 hour, 26 minutes, as the Belarusian tallied twice as
many service breaks (4-2) en route to victory.
Azarenka, who lost to Kvitova in last year's marquee Madrid finale, will be
opposed by eighth-seeded Chinese Li Na here on Friday.
The third-seeded Wimbledon titlist Kvitova was ousted by qualifier and fellow
Czech Lucie Hradecka in eye-popping 6-3, 6-2 fashion on the unusual blue clay
at The Magic Box. Hradecka tallied three more service breaks (5-2) than the
sluggish lefthanded Kvitova to advance.
Meanwhile, fourth-seeded world No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland avoided a
second-round upset by leveling last week's Budapest champion and three-time
2012 WTA winner Sara Errani, of Italy, 6-0, 6-1, in a mere 65 minutes on Day
5.
Two of last year's Grand Slam champions prevailed in third-round action,
as No. 5 seed Samantha Stosur of Australia whipped Czech Petra Cetkovska 6-3,
6-2 and the aforementioned Li got past 12th-seeded rising German Angelique
Kerber 7-5, 6-4. Stosur was last year's U.S. Open winner, while Li is the
reigning French Open champ.
In some other second-round play, Ekaterina Makarova upended 16th-seeded fellow
Russian Maria Kirilenko 6-4, 6-4 and quality Italian clay-courter Roberta
Vinci routed Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-1, 6-2.
In some more third-round play on Thursday, second-seeded former No. 1 Maria
Sharapova will take on Czech Lucie Safarova, Radwanska will battle Vinci and
sixth-seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki should have her hands full with her
ninth-seeded fellow former No. 1 Serena Williams, the 13-time major champion
and 2011 U.S. Open runner-up to Stosur. Wozniacki was the Madrid runner-up in
2009.
Williams is 3-1 lifetime against Wozniacki, all on hardcourts, but the Dane's
lone win came earlier this year in a quarterfinal in Miami.
This year's Madrid Open winner will earn $830,500.
The Sports Network