Azarenka pulls out of Rome after win (shoulder)
2012-05-16 13:45:00
World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka has pulled out of the Premier tournament in Rome after her 6-1, 6-2 opening-round victory over Shahar Peer with right shoulder trouble. Azarenka was rumored to have shoulder problems last weekend in Madrid, but after Serena Williams overwhelmed her in the final, she refused to discuss the issue. As a result of Azarneka's pullout, Dominika Cibulkova advances to the quarterfinals.

Mandatory Minute: Rome, 5/16
2012-05-16 13:44:00
Wednesday's Play (Second round)    (1) Azarenka d. Peer, 6-1, 6-2    Cetkovska d. (3) Radwanska, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1    (5) Stosur d. Errani, 6-3, 7-5    Medina Garrigues d. (6) Wozniacki, 6-4, 4-0 (retired)    Goerges d. (7) Bartoli, 6-3, 6-1    (8) Li d. Benesova, 6-1, 7-5    (9) S. Williams d. Petrova, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 —Richard Pagliaro's Racquet Reaction   (12) Kerber d. King, 6-3, 6-2    (13) Ivanovic d. Soler-Espinosa, 6-2, 6-1    (14) Cibulkova d. Knapp, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1    Scheepers d. Erakovic, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2    Pennetta d. Stephens, 6-2, 6-3    Cirstea d. Arvidsson, 6-3, 6-1    V. Williams d. Makarova, 7-6 (7), 6-1 —Richard Pagliaro's Racquet Reaction  Thursday's Order of Play (Third round)    (5) Stosur v. V. Williams [Centrale] —To follow one men's match, which begins at 6 am EST.  —Stosur scored her first win over Venus in five meetings in last month’s Charleston quarterfinals, has a 13-3 clay-court record this season, and has reached at least the quarterfinals in her last three tournaments. Forecasting Venus’ matches can be tricky because of her ongoing battle with Sjögren's Syndrome, but if she’s landing her first serve and can consistently strike the forehand down the line to Stosur’s weaker backhand, she can win.  The Pick: Williams    (2) Sharapova v. Ivanovic [Centrale] —Not before 1:30 pm EST.  —The reigning Rome champion has won nine of her last 10 matches in the Eternal City, has beaten Ivanovic three times in a row, and has advanced to the quarterfinals or better in all six tournament starts this season. The stats all support a Sharapova win, and she is clearly the more consistent competitor, but we’ll take a chance and roll with the former French Open champion. Ivanovic has scored a pair of straight-sets win this week, can dictate play with her forehand, and is 2-2 in her last four matches with Top 10 opponents. The Pick: Ivanovic    (4) Kvitova v. Cirstea [Supertennis Arena] —5 am EST.  —Consider that Cirstea beat Kvitova in their last meeting, edged seventh-ranked Marion Bartoli in Madrid last week and is a 2009 French Open quarterfinalist, and you can make a case for the 45th-ranked Romanian. Since her run to the Australian Open semis, Kvitova has struggled to put back-to-back wins together, but she has more game than Cirstea, can threaten from more areas of the court, and the Wimbledon winner is due for a winning streak. The Pick: Kvitova    (8) Li v. Scheepers [Supertennis Arena] —To follow Kvitova v. Cirstea and two men's matches.       Cetkovska v. Pennetta [Pietrangeli] —To follow one men's match, which begins at 5 am EST.    (9) S. Williams v. Medina Garrigues [Pietrangeli]       (12) Kerber v. Goerges [Court 1] —5 am EST    TV Schedule 6:00 am - 5:00 pm: Rome (M), Early rounds (Tennis Channel, Live)5:00 pm - 3:00 am: Rome (M), Early rounds (Tennis Channel, Repeat)

Masters Minute: Rome, 5/16
2012-05-16 12:52:00
Wednesday's Play (Second round)    (2) Nadal d. Mayer, 6-1, 7-5 —Hannah Wilks' Racquet Reaction   (3) Federer d. Berlocq, 6-3, 6-4 —Pete Bodo's Racquet Reaction   (7) Berdych d. Kubot, 6-4, 6-1    Wawrinka d. (8) Tipsarevic, 6-3, 6-1    Seppi d. (9) Isner, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5 —Seppi was 0 for 11 on break points until his third break chance at 5-5 in the third, when he finally cracked the Isner code.   (10) Del Potro d. Youzhny, 6-4, 6-2    (11) Simon d. Garcia-Lopez, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4    (12) Almagro d. Querrey, 7-5, 6-2    (14) Monaco d. Stepanek, 6-4, 6-2    (16) Gasquet d. Lorenzi, 6-3, 6-2    Granollers d. Fognini, 6-3, 6-4    Thursday's Order of Play (Third round)    (1) Djokovic d. (14) Monaco [Centrale] —6 am EST.      (2) Nadal v. Granollers [Centrale] —To follow Djokovic v. Monaco and a women's singles match.      (3) Federer v. Ferrero [Centrale] —Not before 3:00 pm EST.      (6) Ferrer v. (11) Simon [Supertennis Arena] —To follow a women's singles match, which begins at 5 am EST.      (4) Murray v. (16) Gasquet [Supertennis Arena]  —Two of the best backhands in the game—Gasquet’s versatile one-hander and Murray’s trusty two-hander—will be on display. Gasquet has the game to pose Murray problems, but because the Scot takes the ball earlier, he should have the court-positioning edge. Murray also won their lone clay meeting—in five sets at the 2010 French Open—and is the pick to prevail in a tight test here. The Pick: Murray    (5) Tsonga v. (10) Del Potro [Supertennis Arena] —Not before 1 pm EST.  —The explosive Frenchman is the higher-ranked player, but del Potro has had the upper hand in winning five of their six meetings, including a four-set win in their lone clay clash at the 2009 French Open. The former U.S. Open champion has won 12 of his last 13 clay-court matches, and if he can find Tsonga’s weaker backhand wing, he should advance to his third straight quarterfinal. The Pick: Del Potro    (7) Berdych v. (12) Almagro [Pietrangeli] —To follow a women's singles match, which begin at 5 am EST.  —Berdych edged Almagro at the Australian Open in January; two months later at Indian Wells, Almagro blew Berdych out, 6-4, 6-0, adding intrigue to their third meeting of the season. The Madrid runner-up has been holding serve effectively during this clay-court season and has won three of five career matches with Almagro on dirt, which makes him the pick. The Pick: Berdych    Seppi v. Wawrinka [Pietrangeli] —To follow Berdych v. Almagro and two women's singles matches.    TV Schedule 6:00 am - 3:30 pm: Rome (M), Early rounds (Tennis Channel, Live)4:30 pm - 2:30 am: Rome (M), Early rounds (Tennis Channel, Repeat)

Nadal avenges loss to Mayer in Rome
2012-05-16 12:04:00
Rafael Nadal opened his quest to reclaim the Rome title he’s won five times in the best possible style, evening things up with one of the few players to hold a winning head-to-head record against him by defeating Florian Mayer, 6-1 7-5. In their only previous encounter, Mayer defeated Nadal in straight sets. But it’s one thing to beat Nadal during the autumn Asian hard-court swing, which usually throws up a few surprising results, and quite another to do so on his beloved red clay. Mayer, aged and ranked 28 and still struggling to get going in 2012 after a groin injury in January, took a thorough battering in the first set, holding serve just once. Nadal, on the other hand, rampaged through the set without losing a point behind his first serve, hitting 11 winners to just three unforced errors, and generally looking like a man determined to sweat out the poisons and lay the ghosts of his unfortunate defeat in Madrid the week before. The first game of the second set suggested that things would continue the same way: at 15-0, Mayer hit a lob after bringing Nadal into net, only for Nadal to hit a delicate forehand lob of his own while running backwards. The winning get had Mayer applauding and Uncle Toni out of his seat. Mayer, whose ungainly movement and extravagant backswings can distract from his potentially lethal game, dug in to save a break point in that game and hold as Nadal’s level dropped slightly. Hitting fewer winners while his unforced error numbers climbed (he would end with 16 for the match, 13 of them committed in the second set), Nadal continued to hold with ease, but struggled to break through on Mayer’s serve. The German made some bigger serves, throwing caution to the wind and every shot he could come up with into the rallies. It worked for a while, but at 5-5 Nadal appeared to settle himself seriously to the task of breaking serve, and did just that with a forehand winner after a wild backhand error from Mayer. Serving for the match, a double fault and a bizarre failure to put the ball over the net after chasing down a drop-shot—with plenty of time—might have had some fans suffering flashbacks to Nadal’s collapse against Fernando Verdasco in Madrid. In the next point, Mayer once again threw everything into it, but Nadal stayed patient, picking up the ball off the slice brilliantly and ending it with a forehand volley. Two big serves took him to match point, and as Mayer put a backhand into the net, Nadal moved on to face compatriot Marcel Granollers in the next round. It’s a new week, new courts and Nadal is back to winning ways. —Hannah Wilks

Venus wins lengthy first set, then match
2012-05-16 10:35:00
Swaying side-to-side while standing inside the baseline to return serve, Venus Williams looked like a woman going places even while standing still. Spinning her wheels with a series of forehand errors early, Williams found her range in a first-set tiebreaker, beat Ekaterina Makarova to the ball in running rallies, and squeezed the Russian's resolve in winning six straight games to seal a 7-6 (7), 6-1 win. The 23-year-old Makarova made her mark on the Williams family in January when she scored a stirring, 6-2, 6-3, victory over Serena to advance to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. The left-hander snapped Serena's 17-match Melbourne winning streak in handing the 12th-seeded American her first Australian Open loss since the 2008 quarterfinals, and one of the most lopsided defeats of her Grand Slam career. Makarova was at it again today, using her curling crosscourt forehand to great effect, as she both opened the angles and tied up Williams with body blows to serve for the opening set at 5-4. Venus' ongoing battle with Sjögren's Syndrome may have sapped some of her strength, but her speed remains undiminished. At the age of 31, Venus is still one of the fastest women on the tour. Using her long strides to cover the court quickly, Williams began to add more air to her shots, playing her sometimes troublesome forehand with more topspin for greater net clearance. She broke back for 5-all, only to see Makarova lift her level and save set points as the set escalated into overtime. The 39th-ranked Russian saved set points at 4-6 and 5-6 in the breaker, the second on a backhand pass down the line. Williams earned a fifth set point and put her legs to use with a series of defensive stabs, but Makarova won a crackling 24-shot rally to level at 7-7. Williams bent over to catch her breath. Shaking off the fatigue, Venus shifted into attack mode, following an inside-out forehand approach to net, where she nudged a soft forehand volley winner into the front court for a sixth set point. When Makarova's running backhand missed the mark, Williams wrapped up a 64-minute first set of momentum shifts in which both women won 41 points. Makarova reached the fourth round of Roland Garros last spring, and when she's hitting her spots with her serve and forehand, she has the weapons to pose problems for elite players. But consistency can be an issue, and she was not nearly as accurate as Williams when hitting on the run in the second set. Venus whipped a forehand pass down the line for break point, broke for a 2-1 lead when Makarova banged a backhand into net, and never looked back in completing a 95-minute win. The degree of difficulty should spike for Venus, who takes on 2010 French Open finalist Samantha Stosur in the third round. Williams has won four of their five meetings, but Stosur scored a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory in their last match, last month's Charleston quarterfinals. The winner will face second-seeded Maria Sharapova or Ana Ivanovic in the quarters. —Richard Pagliaro

Federer wins in Rome; Radwanska, Woz out
2012-05-16 10:23:00
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Serena survives Petrova in three sets
2012-05-16 10:22:00
A whipping wind kicked up a wall of crushed red brick dust that surrounded Serena Williams as she stood to serve at 3-3 in the decisive set. A linesman covered his eyes and sought shelter against the back wall while Williams stood still, squinting through the salmon-colored cloud swirling around. On a day in which an aggressive Nadia Petrova, an unpredictably gusty wind, and unruly bounces from the splotchy court all conspired to create a perfect storm for an upset, Williams kept calm and won the final three games to close an entertaining, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 comeback victory. It was the 15th consecutive clay-court win for Williams, who snapped a two-match losing streak to Petrova. This was a match won between the ears as much as between the lines. For a set and a half, the former world No. 3 took it to Williams, who was left lunging at some shots and shanking others. The two-handed backhand is typically Serena's most reliable groundstroke, but Petrova repeatedly beat her in the early backhand-to-backhand exchanges. When Williams wacked another backhand into net, Petrova broke at love for a 2-1 lead. Serving with authority and taking the first strike in rallies, Petrova surrendered just six points on serve in seizing the 35-minute opening set. In the second, Williams took some medication during a changeover, but couldn't find a remedy for Petrova's play, as the Russian hit a beautiful full-stretch forehand drop volley winner for triple break point. Digging in, Serena erased the first two and saved the third with a running forehand winner cross-court. She fought off five break points in that game, and got away with a putrid drop shot that sat up to hold for 2-1. A game later, Williams made her move. Petrova plays with a western grip on the forehand, and sometimes slaps that shot under pressure. She committed successive forehand errors and helped Williams break for 3-1. The world No. 6 converted three of four break points in the set, sealing it in 49 minutes. When things go wrong, Petrova can quickly lapse into crankiness and sometimes acts as if the chip on her shoulder is as big as her racquet bag. Upset by the bumpy backcourt after she took a tumble, Petrova flung her towel aside without even looking at the ball kid scampering to pick it up. Some members of the crowd whistled and jeered in derision. Petrova was frustrated by shoddy footing, but wasted her energy creating her own conflicts on court. The grounds crew dragged the court clean prior to third set and Petrova cleared the cobwebs from her head. Both women dug out of 0-30 holes to hold. Typically a shrewd mid-match adjuster, Williams worked the Petrova forehand over in a cross-court exchange to draw an error and hold for 4-3. The 30th-ranked Russian rallied to save three break points in the next game, but sailed a backhand three foot long on the fourth as Williams broke for 5-3. Serena closed the win by the same 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 scoreline Petrova prevailed by in their last two matches. A decade removed from her sole Rome title, Williams faces Anabel Medina Garrigues next.  —Richard Pagliaro

Murray: Disadvantage to swear in English
2012-05-16 10:09:00
After receiving a warning for swearing in his three-set win over David Nalbandian in Rome, Andy Murray says he is at a disadvantage because he swears in English. Nalbandian swore in Spanish during the match and was not warned. 'I swear on court regularly,' Murray told reporters. 'I try not to, but sometimes you forget where you are, and what’s on you. I know it’s a mistake, but I also understand a lot of what he said from my time in Spain, but because what we say is in English we’re the ones who get the warning. I think what came out of my mouth today was not as bad as the translation of some of the things that he said, but, it’s not right, regardless.'

Federer: Format makes Olympics tricky
2012-05-16 10:08:00
Roger Federer says that projecting winner of the Olympics will be difficult, as the format will be best-two-out-of-three-sets until the final, when the men will play best-three-out-of-five. The Olympics will be played on grass at Wimbledon just three weeks after the tournament ends. Federer also added that because of the busy, compressed schedule this summer, it's hard to see any one player winning all four big events (French Open, Wimbledon, Olympics, U.S. Open).'If you are feeling sure and can win Wimbledon then you are confident going into the Olympics,' Federer told reporters. 'But the three-set format earlier on in the tournament, that is very dangerous. Who knows then who is in good shape and who is not. Usually when I play and win Wimbledon then I am in good shape at the U.S. Open and I think just today how the conditions are, then if you play good then you play good everywhere. It's hard to see someone win all four—I mean Paris, Wimbledon, the Olympics and the U.S. Open—and I don't think anyone is thinking of something that crazy at the moment. I think we are all taking it one by one.'

Stosur defeats Italy's Errani in round two
2012-05-16 10:07:00
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Kafelnikov: No chance for RUS men's medal
2012-05-16 10:04:00
Yevgeny Kafelnikov, the 2000 Olympic gold medalist, tells RIA Novosti? that Russia’s male players, such as Mikhail Youzhny and Nikolay Davydenko, have no chance of winning medals at the London Olympic Games. The veteran Youzhny is ranked No. 34, and two older players, Alex Bolgomolov Jr. and Davydenko, are ranked No. 44 and No. 48 respectively. 'All of our [male] players know that they don’t have a chance at the Olympics,' said Kafelnikov, who was named vice-president of the Russian Tennis Federation on Wednesday. '[But] just playing at the Olympic Games is something prestigious.'

Hewitt, Barty get French Open wildcards
2012-05-16 10:03:00
Former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt and teenager Ashleigh Barty have been awarded Tennis Australia's wildcards into the main draw of Roland Garros. Hewitt, who had foot surgery in February, has made a fast recovery. The 31-year-old had plates and a screw inserted in his problematic left big toe.Junior Wimbledon champion Barty is one of only two 16-year-olds in the Top 330. She has reached the final of three ITF events so far this year.

WTA Championships seeks host city for 2014
2012-05-16 06:26:00
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)—The women's tennis tour is opening the bidding process to find a host city for its season-ending WTA Championships starting in 2014. In a statement issued Wednesday, WTA Chairman and CEO Stacy Allaster calls this ``a chance for some city somewhere to step up on the world stage.'' The WTA says a decision will be made next March. This year's tournament will be held Oct. 23-28 in Istanbul, which also will host the 2013 edition. New York, Los Angeles, Munich, Madrid and Doha also have hosted the season-ending tournament.

Mandatory Minute: Rome, 5/15
2012-05-15 14:44:00
Tuesday's Play (First round, *Second round)    *(2) Sharapova d. McHale, 7-5, 7-5 —Ed McGrogan's Racquet Reaction (includes match highlights)   *(4) Kvitova d. Pavlyuchenkova, 7-5, 6-4 —Match highlights   (9) S. Williams d. Voskoboeva, 6-2, 6-3    Erakovic d. (11) Lisicki, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-3    (14) Cibulkova d. Lucic, 6-1, 6-2    Cirstea d. (15) Jankovic, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (4)    Pennetta d. (16) Kirilenko, 6-1, 7-6 (2)    Knapp d. Vinci, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2    Cetkovska d. Govortsova, 7-5, 6-4    Stephens d. Chakvetadze, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4    Petrova d. Hlavackova, 6-3, 6-3    Errani d. Bacsinszky, 6-0, 3-0 (retired)    V. Williams d. Halep, 6-3, 6-4    Soler-Espinosa d. Brianti, 6-2, 6-1    Wednesday's Order of Play (Second round)    (9) S. Williams v. Petrova [Centrale] —To follow two men's matches, which begin at 6 am EST.      (1) Azarenka v. Peer [Centrale] —Not before 3 pm EST.      (3) Radwanska v. Cetkovska [Supertennis Arena] —5 am EST.      V. Williams v. Makarova [Supertennis Arena] —To follow Radwanska v. Cetkova and two men's matches.  —Do you remember when Makarova upset Serena Williams en route to this year's Australian Open quarterfinals? You can bet Venus hasn’t forgotten. More recently, Makarova swept 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone in the opening round. Venus, who has reached at least the quarterfinals in six of her last seven Rome appearances, hit four double faults and served just 41 percent in a 6-3, 6-4 win over Simona Halep today. The former Italian Open champion will need to do better than that tomorrow. The Pick: Williams    Stephens v. Pennetta [Pietrangeli] —5 am EST.    (5) Stsour v. Errani [Pietrangeli]  —The baseliner from Bologna has played some of her best tennis this spring, crafting a 16-1 clay-court record with titles in Acapulco, Barcelona, and Budapest. Errani will be happy to try to grind the 2010 French Open finalist in long rallies, but Stosur’s powerful kick serve and percolating topspin forehand give her the edge against the Italian, who is 0-27 versus Top 10 opponents. The Pick: Stosur    (8) Li v. Benesova [Court 2] —5 am EST.    (6) Wozniacki v. Medina Garrigues [Court 2]    (14) Cibulkova v. Knapp [Court 2]    (13) Ivanovic v. Soler-Espinosa [Court 2]    (12) Kerber v. King [Court 4] —5 am EST.    (7) Bartoli v. Goerges [Court 4]  —A contrast of styles pits Bartoli’s flat, fast drives against Goerges’ explosive topspin. Neither woman evokes memories of Justine Henin when it comes to quick court coverage, so the player who takes the first strike most consistently should be in charge. Bartoli plays closer to the baseline and is adept at taking the ball on the rise; she’s won both prior meetings with Goerges and figures to be eager to erase memories of her opening-round Madrid loss to Sorana Cirstea. The Pick: Bartoli    Cirstea v. Arvidsson [Court 6] —To follow women's doubles match, which begins at 5 am EST.    Erakovic v. Scheepers [Court 6]    TV Schedule 6:00 am - 3:30 pm: Rome (M), Early rounds (Tennis Channel, Live)4:30 pm - 2:30 am: Rome (M), Early rounds (Tennis Channel, Repeat)

Masters Minute: Rome, 5/15
2012-05-15 13:46:00
Tuesday's Play (First round, *Second round)    *(1) Djokovic d. Tomic, 6-3, 6-3 —Dan Markowitz's Racquet Reaction   *(4) Murray d. Nalbandian, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 —Steve Tignor's Racquet Reaction   *(5) Tsonga d. Troicki, 6-3, 6-2    *(6) Ferrer d. Verdasco, 6-3, 7-6 (3)    (10) Del Potro d. Llodra, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4    (11) Simon d. Young, 6-2, 7-5    *Ferrero d. (13) Monfils, 7-5, 6-3    (14) Monaco d. Ungur, 6-2, 6-2    Granollers d. (15) Lopez, 6-4, 6-4    (16) Gasquet d. Melzer 6-1, 7-6 (6)    Garcia-Lopez d. Andujar, 6-4, 6-1    Kubot d. Starace, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2    Wednesday's Order of Play (Second round)    Granollers v. Fognini [Centrale] —6 am EST.  —They’ve split two tight matches on clay and both looked sharp in their opening wins—Granollers swept 15th-seeded Feliciano Lopez, 6-4, 6-4, and Fognini broke five times in a 6-2, 6-2 win over Marcos Baghdatis. The 26th-ranked Spaniard is more emotionally stable and the better competitor, so he will have the edge if it's a long grind. But Fognini can open the court with his concise strokes, and though his interest ebbs and flows he was a 2011 Roland Garros quarterfinalist, so we’ll ride with the theatrical, unpredictable Italian here. The Pick: Fognini    (3) Federer v. Berlocq [Centrale]      (2) Nadal v. Mayer [Centrale] —Not before 1:30 pm EST.      (10) Del Potro v. Youzhny [Supertennis Arena] —To follow a women's match, which begins at 5 am EST.     (16) Gasquet v. Lorenzi [Supertennis Arena]    (8) Tipsarevic v. Wawrinka [Supertennis Arena] —Not before 1 pm EST.  —Playing bold shots down the line, Tipsarevic toppled top-ranked Novak Djokovic to reach the Madrid semifinals last week. The Serb typically takes the ball earlier than Wawrinka, but the 20th-ranked Swiss hits a slightly heavier shot, owns disruptive variety in his brilliant one-handed backhand, and was the Rome runner-up to Djokovic in 2008. The Pick: Wawrinka    (7) Berdych v. Kubot [Pietrangeli] —To follow two women's matches, which begin at 5 am EST.    (9) Isner v. Seppi [Pietrangeli]  —The 30th-ranked Italian has been on a roll, winning six of his last seven clay-court matches, and won his second career title in Belgrade last month. But Seppi has yet to win successive matches in eight prior Rome appearances. The 10th-ranked Isner possesses more power, has played some of his best tennis on dirt, and should be able to hit through the Italian counter-puncher. The Pick: Isner    (14) Monaco v. Stepanek [Court 1] —To follow a men's doubles match, which begins at 5 am EST.    (12) Almagro v. Querrey [Court 1]    (11) Simon v. Garcia-Lopez [Court 4] —Not before 8 am EST.    TV Schedule 6:00 am - 3:30 pm: Rome (M), Early rounds (Tennis Channel, Live)4:30 pm - 2:30 am: Rome (M), Early rounds (Tennis Channel, Repeat)