Former champ Ivanovic storms past Johansson

2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic advanced to the third round of Roland Garros, after she defeated Mathilde Johansson in the second round 6-2, 6-2. The Serbian will play Virginie Razzano, another French woman, in round of 32.

Serena too good for Garcia

The world number one Serena Williams triumphed her 26th consecutive match as the American powered past Caroline Garcia 6-1 6-2 of France to enter round 3 of 2013 Roland Garros. Williams only needed 61 minutes to 19-year-old Frenchwoman. The American will take on 26th seeded Sorana Cirstea of Romania in round 3.

Jovanovski upsets Wozniacki, Errani gets through

Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia knocked out former world number one Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 7-6,6-3 in the second round of 2013 Roland Garros. Jovanovski will play 2009 champion Svetlana Kuznetosva in round 3, who beat Magdalena Rybarikova 1-6, 6-2, 6-2. Last year's finalist Sara Errani stormed past Yulia Putintseva 6-1,6-1 in another second round encounter.

Radwanska, Kerber safely into round 3

The 2012 Wimbledon runner-up Radwanska cruised past American Mallory Burdette 6-3, 6-2 on the red clay at Roland Garros. Radwanska will play German Dinah Pfizenmaier, who beat Agnieszka's younger sister Urszula 6-3, 6-3 in round three. At the same time 8th seeded Angelique Kerber outclassed Jana Cepelova 6-2, 6-2. Kaia Kanepi of Estonia took down 23rd-seeded Czech Klara Zakopalova 7-6, 6-2 and American Jamie Hampton outlasted 25th-seeded Czech Lucie Safarova with a 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 9-7 triumph. Meanwhile 12th seeded Maria Kirilenko dropped only one game to overcome her opponent, Nina Bratchikova.

Azarenka, Kvitova into round 2

Victoria Azarenka and Petra Kvitova had to wait until the fourth day of the French Open for their opening matches, however both of them were able to reach round 2 of 2013 Roland Garros with different styles. Azarenka breezed past her former doubles partner Elena Vesnina 6-1,6-4 while Kvitova had to play a three setter to beat French wild card Aravane Rezai 6-3,4-6,6-2. Azarenka will play Annika Beck of Germany and Kvitova will face Peng Shuai of China in round 2.

Sharapova starts title defense

 Maria Sharapova began her French Open title defense with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over 42nd-ranked Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan on Monday. The Russian never faced a single break point on her serve during the 54 minute encounter. A year ago, Sharapova won the championship at Roland Garros to complete a career Grand Slam, adding to her titles from Wimbledon in 2004, the U.S. Open in 2006, and the Australian Open in 2008.

Former champions Kuznetsova, Schiavone through

2009 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and 2010 champion Francesca Schiavone won their opening matches at 2013 Roland Garros with straight sets victories over Ekaterina Makarova and Melinda Czink respectively. Kuznetsova, the world No. 39, beat compatriot Makarova 6-4, 6-2 while Schiavone top Czink 6-0, 7-6

Meanwhile, eighth-seeded German Angelique Kerber downed her countrywoman Mona Barthel 7-6(6), 6-2. Also 17th seed American Sloane Stephens moved on by besting Italian Karin Knapp 6-2, 7-5. Among day two winners Americans Bethanie Mattek Sands, Vania King and Madison Keys, Canadian Eugenie Bouchard, Serb Bojana Jovanovski, France's Mathilde Johansson, and Slovak Jana Cepelova.

Li and Radwanska progress at Roland Garros

Former French Open champion Li Na started her 2013 Roland Garros campaign beating clay court specialist Anabel Medina Garriguess of Spain 6-3,6-4. Li will play American Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who beat Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-4, 6-1. 4th seed Agnieszka Radwanska needed only 57 minutes to defeat Shahar Peer 6-1, 6-1 to earn her first win on clay this year. Radwanska fell in her opening matches in Madrid and Rome. She'll next play the American Mallory Burdette. Meanwhile 15th seed Robreta Vinci beat French woman Stephanie Foretz Gacon 6-3, 6-0.

Wozniacki ends losing streak
 

British No 1 Laura Robson has been knocked out of the French Open, losing 6-3, 6-2 to former world number one Caroline Wozniacki in the first round of 2013 Roland Garros. Wozniacki lost all of her matches on red clay this year but managed to score her first win over the dangerous opponent.

Venus Williams loses epic first round match

Seven time grand slam champion Venus Williams of the US was exited in the first round of the French Open by Poland's Urzula Radwanska after a three hours and 20 minutes epic match. Radwanska beat the American 7-6(5), 6-7,(4), 6-4. The younger sister of Agnieszka will play German qualifier Dinah Pfizenmaier in the next round. Biggest upset of the tournament so far came when Puerto Rico’s Monica Puig upset world number 11 Nadia Petrova of Russia 6-3, 5-7, 4-6

Errani, Ivanovic advance to second round

Last year's runner up, world number 5, Sara Errani of Italy won her opening match to start 2013 French Open campaign. Italian beat Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands 6-1, 6-2 Sunday in the opening match on Court Suzanne Lenglen. 2008 champion Ana Ivanovic of Serbia overcame after an inconsistent second set to reach round of 64. The former world number one beat 108th-ranked Petra Martic of Croatia 6-1,3-6,6-3. 19th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova survived her opening match against Andrea Hlavackova 4-6,7-6,6-4.

Serena storms past Tatishvili

                                                           Serena Williams of the USA, world number one, outclassed Georgia's Anna Tatishvili 6-0, 6-1 in the first day of the French Open on Sunday to begin her 2013 French Open campaign. Williams is unbeaten since WTA Doha and is looking for her second French Open title. The American crashed out to French woman Virgine Razzano last year in the opening round.  

Serena beats Azarenka to win Rome

Serena Williams of the US captures the fourth title in a row beating Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in the final of The Internazionali BNL d'Italia 2013. Williams outclassed the Belorussian 6-1,6-3 to claim her second Rome title. World number one is unbeaten since Doha and won Miami, Charleston and Madrid back to back. The American also extends her career best winning streak to 24 matche

Azarenka to play Williams in Rome final

Serena Williams crushed Romanian qualifier Simona Halep 6-3,6-0 to book her place in the women's final and extend her winning streak to 23 matches. Williams will face Victoria Azarenka in Sunday's final after the third seed beat last year's French Open finalist Sara Errani 6-0,7-5.

Azarenka, Halep book last spots for semis

 Victoria Azarenka survived her quarter final match against Sam Stosur 6-4,1-6,6-3 at Italy Open. Azarenka will take on Italy's Sara Errani in her semi final on Saturday. Qualifier Simona Halep saved two match points to beat Jelena Jankovic in another quarter final match  4-6,6-0,7-5. It's Halep's first semi final appearance in a premier 5 event.

Serena extends winning streak

Serena Williams extended her winning streak to a career-best 22 matches and reached the Italian Open semifinals by beating Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-0 Friday. Williams had twice won 21 in a row before, although both of those streaks came more than a decade ago, in 2002 and 2003.

Sharapova withdraws from Italy Open

Two-time defending champion Maria Sharapova has withdrawn before her Italian Open quarterfinal match against seventh-seeded Sara Errani because of illness. Sharapova says on Twitter that she ''didn't recover after being sick last week and it got me again last night.'' The withdrawal means Errani advances to the semifinals. Her opponent will be either third-seeded Victoria Azarenka or ninth-seeded Sam Stosur.

WTA Rome Third Round Results

 Serena Williams def. Dominica Cibulkova 6-0,6-1
Carla Suarez Navarro def. Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-2,6-3
Simona Halep def. Robreta Vinci 6-4,6-2
Jelena Jankovic def. Li Na 7-6,7-5
Sam Stosur def. Petra Kvitova 7-5,2-6,6-1
Victoria Azarenka def. Ayumi Morita 6-1,2-0 ret.
Sara Errani def. Maria Kirilenko 6-3,2-0 ret.
Maria Sharapova def. Sloane Stephens 6-2,6-1

Sharapova, Li, Azarenka ease into round 3

Maria Sharapova, Li Na and Victoria Azarenka sailed through their second round matches with straight set victories to enter round 3 of Italy Open. Sharapova, two time defending champion, never faced a break point in her 6-2 6-2 win over Garbine Muguruza of Spain while China's Li Na went through with a 6-3 6-1 win over compatriot Zheng Jie. Azarenka won her opener over German's Julia Goerges 6-2,6-0

Rome campaign starts

Serena eyes for her second Rome title

 

Top seed Serena Williams of the USA opened her Internazionali BNL d’Italia campaign with easy straight-set win over her second-round rival Laura Robson of the Great Britain. Robson, who knocked out elder Williams sister in the first round, lost to the world number one 6-2,6-2. Serena will play either Melanie Oudin or Dominika Cibulkova next.

Biggest upset so far

Romanian qualifier Simona Halep defeated the fourth-seeded Polish Agnieszka Radwanska in three sets 6-7 (2-7),6-1,6-2 to place in the third round. Radwanska, who suffered an opening round exit in Madrid last week, is yet to win a match on red clay this year. meanwhile Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova survived her second round match over German's Sabine Lisicki 6-4,0-6,7-5

First round results 

 

Laura Robson def. Venus Williams 6-3,6-2
Melanie Oudin def. Eketerina Makarova 2-6,7-5,4-2 ret.
Domanika Cibulkova def. Kristina Mladenovic 1-6,6-2,6-2
Carla Suarez Navarro def. Nadia Petrova 3-6,6-2,7-6
Romina Oprandi def. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2,6-0
Yanina Wickmayer def. Kirsten Flipkens 6-4,6-0
Simona Halep def. Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1,6-1
Nastassja Burnett def. Alize Cornet 6-2,6-2
Robreta Vinci def.Elena Vesnina 6-7,7-5,6-4
Bojana Jovanovski def. Caroline Wozniacki 2-6,6-4,7-6
Jelena Jankovic def. Tsvetana Pironkova 6-3,6-0
Zheng Jie def. Magdalena Rybarikova 7-6,6-3
Sabine Lisicki def. Mallory Burdette 6-1,6-2
Shuai Peng def. Monica Niculescu 4-6,6-3,6-2
Samantha Stosur def. Su Wei Hsieh 6-2,6-3
Ayumi Morita def. Sorana Cirstea 6-1,6-3
Julia Goerges def. Andrea Hlavackova 2-6,6-4,6-4
Christina McHale def. Karin Knapp 7-5,6-2
Varva Lepchenko def. Lesia Tsurenko 6-4,6-2
Maria Kirilenko def. Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3,6-3
Flavia Penetta def. Sloane Stephens 6-3,6-3
Kiki Bertens def. Francesca Schiavone 7-6,6-1
Garbine Muguruza def. Mathilde Johansson 1-6,6-0,6-2
Urszula Radwanska def. Ana Ivanovic 6-3,2-6,6-2

Anastasija Sevastova retires at age of 23

23 year old Latvian Anastasija Sevastova has announced her retirement from the game after illness and injuries in the past couple of years.

"Dear all, I want to inform you about my latest decision - retirement from professional tennis. Because of almost three years of continuing illnesses, injuries and the related problems, I don't see myself carrying on in this complex sport at the highest possible level. I am and will always be grateful for everything tennis has given to me. Thank you to the WTA and the ITF for the support - and my most sincere wishes of success to everybody involved in tennis."

Sevastova is the only Latvian in the last 20 years to win a WTA title. She won the Estoril title in 2010. She has beaten top players like Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic and Samantha Stosur.

50 for Serena Williams

Serena Williams of the USA successfully defended Mutua Madrid Open title and protected her world number one ranking beating the number two Maria Sharapova of Russia. Sharapova, who never lost a match on clay since she lost to Williams in Madrid last year, was unable to challenge the strong hitting American, who prevailed 6-1,6-4 at the end. The title is recorded as her 50th career title and her seventh on clay.

Serena, Sharapova into Madrid quarters

Serena Williams breezed into the Madrid Open quarter-finals on Thursday with a 6-3 6-1 win over Maria Kirilenko of Russia. Williamis will face Anabel Medina Garriguess, who received a walkover against Yaraslova Schvedova. Williams is joined in the quarter-finals by second seed Maria Sharapova who knocked out unseeded German Sabine Lisicki 6-2 7-5. The Russian world number two and French Open champion will play Kaia Kanepi for a place in the last four after the unseeded Estonian beat Slovakian wildcard Daniela Hantuchova 6-3 6-4.

Makarova upsets Azarenka, Kvitova out

World number there and last year's finalist Victoria Azarenka suffered a 1-6,6-3,6-2 shocking loss to Russia's Ekaterina Makarova at Mutua Madrid Open. Azarenka is the 9th seeded player to lose before 3rd round this year here in Madrid. Daniela Hantuchova has booked her place in the third round with a surprise 6-2 2-6 3-6 win over former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova. It's Hantuchova's first victory against the Czech and will meet Kaia Kanepi in round 3.

Ivanovic reaches quarter finals, Kerber joins

Former world number one Ana Ivanovic of Serbia battled past Britain's Laura Robson in a three set match at Mutua Madrid Open, which ended in the Serb's favour. She took the first set and served for the match at 5-3 in the decider, but the 2008 French Open champion came storming back to book her place in the quarter-finals with a 5-7,6-2,7-6(7-5) win in two hours and 13 minutes. Ivanovic will play Angelique Kerber, who beat another French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova earlier 3-6,6-4,7-5.

Singapore to host WTA YEC

The Women's Tennis Association has named Singapore as the host for its annual end-of-season tour championships for five years from 2014. The other candidates were Monterrey, in Mexico, and China's Tianjin. The top eight singles players and top eight doubles players will compete for the most prestigious event on tour after the four Grand Slams.

Serena progresses through, Sharapova wins

World number one and defending champion Serena Williams continued her serene progress at the Madrid Open when she eased past Spanish wildcard Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-2 7-5 in the second round. Williams was joined in the third round by Ana Ivanovic after the Serbian sixteenth seed triumphed South African qualifier Chenelle Scheepers 6-2 6-2. Maria Sharapova eased past 21-year-old American Christina McHale 6-1, 6-2 while Marion Bartoli of France overcame a fall to beat qualifier Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor of Spain 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Yaroslava Shvedova and Anabel Medina Garrigues also secured their places in round 3 against each other. Svetlana Kuznetsova and Sabine Lisicki upset Nadia Petrova and Dominica Cibulkova in their second round matches.

Sharapova, Azarenka start Madrid campaign

Maria Sharapova of Russia eased past Romanian qualifier Alexandra Dulgheru 7-5 6-2 and third-seeded Belorussian Victoria Azarenka had to fight past Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-6 7-6 in their opening round matches.

 

Robson stuns Radwanska, Stosur out

Britain's Laura Robson and Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro caused two more upsets in the women's draw by beating 4th seeded Pole Agnieszka Radwanska and 9th seeded Sam Stosur of Australia. Robson only allowed Radwanska four games in her second round match where Radwanska failed ultimately 6-3,6-1. 23rd-ranked Suarez Navarro ousted Stosur 7-6 6-2.

Lucky loser keys upset Li, Ivanovic through

Li Na was scheduled to play Tamira Paszeck but the Austrian withdrew shortly before her match allowing Madison Keys of the USA to replace as a lucky loser. But Keys showed no sign of her ranking and went to beat former French Open champion Li 6-3,6-2 comprehensively. It's also recorded as her first top 5 victory. Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who beat Keys in the qualifying round couldn't repeat the same result against Ana Ivanovic of Serbia. 16th seeded Ivanovic dropped the first set in the tie break but came back to grab the last two sets to place in round 2 6-7(10-12), 6-3, 6-2. Ivanovic will face Chanelle Scheepers from South Africa in the second round, who moved past former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic 6-7(1-7),6-3,6-3.

Venus Williams withdraws from Madrid Open

Venus Williams withdrew shortly before her opening match at the Mutua Madrid Open citing a back injury and was replaced by Swiss Stefanie Voegele. Venus, 2010 finalist here, was scheduled to play Anabel Medina Garrigues in the opening round.

Serena kicks off title defense

The defending champion and the world number one Serena Williams of the USA overcame a tough opening set to start her title defense at Mutua Madrid open. Serena defeated qualifier Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan 7-6,6-1. Williams was broken in the opening service game and down 1-3 however came back to clinch the opening set in a close tie break (7-5). Eventually she took the second set 6-1 to place in round 2. World number four Agnieszka Radwanska also won her opening match beating Tsvetana Pironkova 6-2,6-4.

Wozniacki first seed to lose, Kerber survives

Tenth seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark lost to Yaraslova Schvedova of Kazakhstan in the opening round of 2013 Madrid Open 6-2,6-4. Wozniacki also suffered an opening round loss in Stuttgart. Hsieh Su-wei of Chinese Taipei pushed world number 6 Angelique Kerber of Germany into a three setter in another opening round of match. Kerber, semi finalist from Stuttgart, lost the opening set 6-3 but bounced back to clinch the second and third sets 6-3,6-2. Kerber will face France's Alize Cornet in second round.Marion Bartoli, Dominica Cibulkova and Anabel Medina Garrigues were safely through to round 2.

Errani opens Madrid campaign, Day 1 results

 

Seventh-seeded Sara Errani advanced to the second round of the Madrid Open by beating Urszula Radwanska of Poland, 6-3,6-1 on Saturday. Also, Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia defeated Sloane Stephens of the USA 6-3,7-5, Germany's Julia Goerges defeated Serbia's Bojana Jovanovski 6-4,6-1, while Lourdes Dominguez-Lino of Spain beat Simona Halep of Romania 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

Alize Cornet def. Kiki Bertens 7-5,7-6
Laura Robson def. Magdelena Rybarikova 6-7,6-2,6-2
Kirsten Flipkens def. Mona Barthel 6-4,6-1
Sabine Lisicki def. Sofia Arvidson 6-3,6-1