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Two-time defending champion Maria Sharapova has withdrawn before her Italian Open quarterfinal match against seventh-seeded Sara Errani because of illness.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