Monday, July 29, 2013

Sharapova withdraws from Rogers Cup


World no. 2 Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from the Rogers Cup due to a hip injury. Sharapova suffered the injury during a fall in her loss to Michelle Larcher de Biro.

Sharapova, who has been working with Jimmy Connors as her new coach since Wimbledon, commented, "I'm extremely disappointed that I'm unable to play in Toronto next week as it's one of the best and most important tournaments of the year. I was looking forward to making a healthy return to the courts in front of my Canadian fans but unfortunately I'm just not recovered yet."

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Bartoli creates history, wins Wimbledon


Marion Bartoli outclassed German Sabine Lisicki 6-1,6-4 to win her first grand slam at Wimbledon lawn tennis championship. Bartoli, beaten finalist in 2007 here to Venus Williams, never looked back after easing passed the Lisicki in the opening set. This was Bartoli's 47th Grand Slam tournament, the most ever played by a woman before earning a championship. She is the only woman in the 45-year Open era to win Wimbledon playing two-fisted shots off both wings. Bartoli became the first woman in the Open era to win Wimbledon without facing anyone seeded in the top 10 - her highest-rated opponent was No. 17 Sloane Stephens of the United States in the quarterfinals. That's in part because of all of the injuries and surprises, including exits for No. 2 Victoria Azarenka, No. 3 Maria Sharapova, No. 5 Sara Errani, No. 7 Angelique Kerber, No. 9 Caroline Wozniacki and No. 10 Maria Kirilenko by the end of the second round.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Kvitova out, new grand slam champion to be born


With Petra Kvitova and Li Na crashing out to Belgian's Kirsten Flipkens and Agnieszka Radwanska respectively, a new grand slam champion will be born on Saturday. Kirsten Flipkens stuned Petra Kvitova, 2011 Wimbledon champion, to book her first ever semi-final place meanwhile Li Na lost to last year's runner up Agnieszka Radwanska. Sabine Lisicki beat unseeded Estonian Kaia Kanepi 6-3 6-3 to back up that Monday's shock victory over red-hot favourite Serena Williams. Lisicki, trying to become Germany's first grand slam singles champion since Steffi Graf in 1996, will take on fourth seed Radwanska on Thursday while Flipkens will play 2007 Wimbledon runner-up Bartoli, who beat Sloane Stephens of the USA 6-4 7-5.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Manic Monday shocker for Williams


The defending champion and five-time Wimbledon winner Serena Williams failed to close out her fourth round match after leading 3-1, 40-15 in the decider. After losing the first set 2-6 Serena came back strongly to bread stick the German in the second. However she failed to close out the match despite the 3-1 40-15 lead. Lisicki will play Kaia Kanepi next, who beat Laura Robson in straight sets.


Li Na also reached the last eight, beating Robreta Vinci 6-2,6-0.

Kvitova first into Quarters, Flipkens joins


Former champion Petra Kvitova became the first player to reach the quarterfinals at this year's Wimbledon, beating Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain 7-6 (5), 6-3. She was joined minutes later by Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium, who reached her first career Grand Slam quarterfinal by ousting Flavia Pennetta of Italy 7-6 (2), 6-3. Agnieszka Radwanska, Sloane Stephens and Marion Bartoli also joined Kvitova and Flipkens after winning their fourth round matches.