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Azarenka brings new mindset to French Open

Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

PARIS—Victoria Azarenka used to create the impression on court she was contending with more than an opponent. There seemed to be demons at play as well.

Consider her fourth-round meltdown against Nadia Petrova at Wimbledon in 2009. She began mimicking her own movements before sarcastically shaking a linesperson's hand and telling the chair umpire, "You guys have so much power to ruin the whole match."

She is now a more focused two-time Grand Slam tournament winner and awaiting the clay courts at Roland Garros, where last year she lost her No. 1 ranking to eventual champion Maria Sharapova.

"The main goal for me is the French Open," she told The Associated Press.

Azarenka is the first to acknowledge she can still cause herself problems — like losing her temper, especially when her serve is off.

She says her turnaround began at the 2011 Australia Open. Azarenka, seeded eighth, lost to eventual finalist Li Na in the fourth round. The great promise Azarenka had shown by winning 24 of her first 26 matches in 2009 seemed to be fizzling. She was distraught and flew home to speak with her grandmother.

"I decided I didn't want to play anymore and I had to re-evaluate a lot of things," she said. Her grandmother advised Vika — the name she is affectionately known by — that the solution was to find a way to be happy.

The words had a big impact on the 23-year-old Azarenka, who had begun playing tennis at age 7 at a club in Minsk, where her mother had a job.

"Home will always be Belarus for me," she said, recalling how she used to hit balls against the club's wall, honing skills that would later characterize a game marked by quickness and bursts of speed.

Her grandmother made her realize her deep feelings for tennis. But she also knew she had to find a sense of calm and satisfaction on and off the court.

"I understood how much I loved tennis, and that every time I step out on the court I want to have fun and enjoy playing," she said.

Azarenka felt she needed to be in the company of those who understood her and could help overcome disappointments and focus on how to win. Her coach, Frenchman Sam Sumyk, has been a cornerstone of Azarenka's new approach.

"My team is very, very important to me," she said, adding it had taken a long time to find the right coach and advisers.

While on tour, she stays within a tight circle. She has sought people with "different characters," who can help her communicate and understand what was going on around her.

"Sharing the same goal, we all work like a watch," she said. "I'm happy to know that I have people I can trust."

She was ranked No. 58 when she visited her grandmother. When Azarenka returned to the Australian Open, her new style — a feisty mix of athleticism and boxerlike concentration — enabled her to beat defending champion Kim Clijsters and finalist Sharapova. She captured her first Grand Slam singles title and ascended to the No. 1 ranking.

At the start of this year, all eyes were on Azarenka to see if she could retain the Australian title. She did, defeating Li 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Her climb through the rankings, however, has been halted by an injury that prevented her from playing at Indian Wells, Calif., and at the Miami Open.

"I started the year very well and I was feeling I was in a good condition," she said. "But the injury was not letting me do what I wanted to do, so I had to take time off. It was a hard decision."

Part of her routine now is to take the court wrapped in what she calls her cocoon. Before a match, she tries to do what makes her feel good.

"I've had a lot of ups and downs, personal ups and downs in my career," she said. "When I go out there, I play with my heart. You can see it by my emotions, by the way I play. I express it very deeply. So this emotional and mental space is very important to me."

Her preparation includes dance, which she said helps her get "into that mental stage, into that bubble when you walk onto the court."

At 6-feet tall Azarenka does not believe she is anywhere near her physical potential.

"That's really exciting," she said. "I haven't even stopped growing yet."

She said she has been told by doctors that she might keep growing until she reaches 25. She also has a "new angle in nutrition," learning the importance of balance.

Women's tennis has become more physical every season, she said, a process that can lead to more injuries. So she and her team are doing everything they can to keep her injury free or shorten her recovery when injuries do happen.

"So long as you can stay in that good, healthy body, then the better the chances you have for a good career," she said.

Learning to relax off the court is another strategy.

"I love music, it's my second favorite thing," she said. "I love listening to live music. I played piano when I was a kid." She regretted that there isn't enough time on the tennis circuit to learn other instruments, but she promises to do so when she gets a chance.

One thing that doesn't change is her thoughts of home. She says she is always thinking of Belarus and loves going back there.

"I mentor two young girls," she said. "I always tell them to ask as many questions as they can. It's good to understand."

Nadal, Djokovic in same half of Roland Garros draw

Wed, 15 May 2013 03:00:00 -0400

PARIS -- Seven-time champion Rafael Nadal could face top-seeded Novak Djokovic in the French Open semifinals a year after they met to decide the title.

Friday's draw for the clay-court Grand Slam tournament placed Nadal and Djokovic on the same half of the field, while Roger Federer could face David Ferrer in the other semifinal.

Federer, the owner of a record 17 major titles including the 2009 French Open, will face a qualifier in the first round -- and if he wins that, he'll play a qualifier in the second round, too. Djokovic faces a far more intriguing start: The reigning Australian Open champion's first-round opponent is David Goffin, a 22-year-old Belgian who took a set off Federer in the fourth round in Paris last year after making it that far as a lucky loser.

No man has won the title at Roland Garros as many times as Nadal, who broke a tie with six-time champion Bjorn Borg by defeating Djokovic in last year's final and is 52-1 for his French Open career. Nadal also has reached the finals of all eight tournaments he's played in 2013.

But because the Spaniard missed about seven months with a left knee injury, his ranking slipped to No. 4, and the French Open decided not to bump him to a higher seeding.

If the tournament had placed Nadal at No. 2, he and No. 1 Djokovic only could have met in the final; instead, a Nadal-Djokovic rematch for the championship can't happen in 2013.

"I am very happy that I am back and I am healthy to play here another time," said Nadal, who has lost eight of his last 11 matches against Djokovic, including on clay at Monte Carlo last month.

Nadal is seeded No. 3 because second-ranked Andy Murray, the reigning U.S. Open champion, withdrew from the French Open with a back injury.

The possible men's quarterfinals are: Djokovic against No. 8 Janko Tipsarevic, his Davis Cup teammate for Serbia; Nadal against No. 7 Richard Gasquet of France; No. 2 Federer against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France; and No. 4 Ferrer against No. 5 Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic.

Berdych was drawn to face Gael Monfils of France in the first round, drawing groans from some members of the audience.

The last man from France to win the French Open was Yannick Noah in 1983, a 30-year gap mentioned more than once at Friday's ceremony.

Serena Williams wants to end her own, shorter drought in Paris -- her lone French Open title came in 2002 -- and her bid for a second championship will begin against 83rd-ranked Anna Tatishvili in the first round.

A year ago in Paris, Williams lost her opening match to 111th-ranked Virginie Razzano, the American's only first-round loss in 50 career Grand Slam tournaments.

Williams is seeded No. 1 this year and is on a 24-match winning streak, the longest of her career.

Tatishvili, from the former Soviet republic of Georgia, is only 2-10 this season. She's also 0-2 at Roland Garros and 6-8 overall at Grand Slam tournaments. Williams, in contrast, has won 15 major titles.

The possible women's quarterfinals are: Williams against No. 8 Angelique Kerber, defending champion Maria Sharapova against No. 7 Petra Kvitova, No. 3 Victoria Azarenka against 2011 champion Li Na, and No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska against 2012 runner-up Sara Errani.

"It's very meaningful to come back as a defending champion. It means you have done something pretty good, and you're coming back into that position and you're trying to defend it," said Sharapova, who completed a career Grand Slam by winning last year's French Open. "I think it's one of the best honors you can have as a tennis player."

One noteworthy first-round matchup is No. 10 Caroline Wozniacki, who used to be No. 1, against 35th-ranked Laura Robson, a British teenager who reached the fourth round at last year's U.S. Open.

The French Open begins Sunday.

Serena to face Tatishvili in first round of French Open

Wed, 15 May 2013 02:00:00 -0400

PARIS -- Serena Williams will begin her bid for a second French Open championship and 16th Grand Slam title overall by facing 83rd-ranked Anna Tatishvili in the first round.

A year ago in Paris, Williams lost her opening match to 111th-ranked Virginie Razzano, the American's only first-round loss in 50 career Grand Slam tournaments.

Williams is seeded No. 1 this year and is on a career-best 24-match winning streak. Tatishvili is 0-2 at Roland Garros.

Friday's draw for the clay-court major tournament set up these possible women's quarterfinals: Williams against No. 8 Angelique Kerber, defending champion Maria Sharapova against No. 7 Petra Kvitova, No. 3 Victoria Azarenka against 2011 champion Li Na, and No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska against 2012 runner-up Sara Errani.

The tournament begins Sunday.

Serena: Rafa is chasing my comeback

Wed, 15 May 2013 01:00:00 -0400

World No. 1 Serena Williams jokes that Rafael Nadal, who has won six of the eight tournaments he played this year and reached two other finals, is competing with her comeback success.

“I think he's performed great,” she told reporters. “I think he's been doing a great job."

She then added with a smile: “I think he's trying to compete with me with like his comeback, so...Yeah, I'm going to have a talk with him about that."

Montanes to play Monfils in Nice Open final

Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

NICE, France—France's Gael Monfils beat Spain's Pablo Andujar 7-5, 6-4 in the Nice Open on Friday to advance to the final.

Monfils will face Spain's Albert Montanes, a 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 winner over French wild-card entry Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the first semifinal in the clay-court, warm-up tournament for the French Open.

A former top 10 player, Monfils was hampered last year by a right knee injury and has dropped to 109th in the rankings.

Monfils hit 17 winners to eight for Andujar to take the first set, when the Spaniard netted a backhand volley. The Frenchman then rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the second.

The French Open starts Sunday.

Djokovic, Federer, del Potro into Dubai quarterfinals

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 09:28:00 -0500

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)—Defending champion Roger Federer and top-seeded Novak Djokovic are on course to face each in the Dubai Championships final after each moved into the quarterfinals Wednesday with straight set victories.

The world's two best players were joined by Juan Martin del Potro and Tomas Berdych who also won in straight sets. Berdych saved 12 of 14 break points to beat Tobias Kamke 7-5, 6-1, and Del Potro defeated Somdev Devvarman 6-4, 6-4 before hitting a few balls with former Argentina soccer star Diego Maradona.

Djokovic beat Roberto Bautista-Agut of Spain 6-1, 7-6 (4).

The top-ranked Djokovic broke Bautista-Agut three times to win the first set in 23 minutes and took a 3-0 lead in the second. But at 5-3 up and serving for the match, Bautista-Agut managed to break Djokovic and seemed to suddenly come alive - going on to save four match points to level the set at 5-5.

Djokovic produced a volleyed winner to go up 6-5 up, only for the 55th-ranked Spaniard to have a good service game capped by a return from the Serb into the net to force the tiebreaker. However, Djokovic soon took control, accelerating into a 5-2 lead and winning the match when Bautista-Agut double faulted.

''I played really, really well and a high level throughout most of the match and then I had another poor game like yesterday toward the end when I needed to close it out and a few match points,'' Djokovic said. ''He fought his way through and I have to give them credit for that. He's a great competitor. I never played against him, so I didn't know really what to expect.''

Djokovic now plays seventh-seeded Andreas Seppi of Italy who beat Lukas Rosol 6-4, 7-6 (4).

Federer beat Marcel Granollers 6-3, 6-4, looking much more confident than he did in his opening, three-set victory over Tunisian wild card Malek Jaziri. His serve was almost untouchable — he won 84 percent of first serve points - and he was much more aggressive, winning several key points at the net.

The 17-time Grand Slam winner broke the 34th-ranked Spaniard to go up 4-2 on the way to winning the first set. Federer broke a second time to make it 3-2 in the second and closed It out with a dominant serving game - including an ace and a final serve that Granollers returned wide.

''The last four sets have been pretty good, you know, so I'm happy I bounced back after a rough opening first set here in the first round,'' Federer said. ''I think I was sharper today. I had a more, clear plan. I knew what I could and couldn't do.''

Federer will next face Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, who beat Victor Hanescu of Romania 6-4, 7-6 (2). Federer has an 18-2 record against the Russian and hasn't lost to him since 2010 in Qatar. But the Swiss star said he still had to be ready for a player who once was ranked third before sustaining a series of injuries.

"I'll never disrespect a guy like Nikolay. He's done too much in the game," he said. "That's why I know it's a dangerous round next match... I know what he can do on his absolute best day because I was one of the guys that got crushed by him as well during that time."

Maradona, who is a goodwill ambassador for the Dubai Sports Council, went on court after Del Potro's match to give the Argentine a hug. Dressed in a polo shirt and tracksuit bottoms, Maradona then proceeded to hit a few balls with Del Potro and even had a volley winner.

"It's a pleasure to share moments with Diego," Del Potro said. "All the Argentinian people love him, and he's our No. 1 representative on the world in the sports. You know, to play some balls with him here in this stadium, it's amazing for me. He played really well, not like soccer, but he can hit the balls with me."

Berdych led 4-2 and 5-3 in the first set but Kamke broke to get back to 5-4 and then held for 5-5. The 90th-ranked German later saved five set points before Berdych broke him to win the set.

Berdych, who reached the quarterfinals for the fourth straight tournament, said he struggled to adjust from the indoor courts of Marseille to the faster, outdoor courts in Dubai. He also complained about the intense sun and windy conditions.

"It was a tricky one and not one of my best games," Berdych said. "I'm happy with the way it went. Just enough to win in two sets. I was really trying to extremely focus on every single point because you don't know what can happen, what the wind will do."

Also, German qualifier Daniel Brands defeated eighth-seeded Mikhail Youzhny of Russia 6-4, 6-4.

Tennis Channel's complaint against Comcast in jeopardy

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:23:00 -0500

The Tennis Channel and the FCC appear to have their backs against the wall in the network’s discrimination case against cable giant Comcast.

Last year, the FCC ordered Comcast to provide equal treatment to Tennis Channel in its tier placement, ruling that it must be on the same tier as the two sports networks it owns, the Golf Channel and NBC Sports.

But on Monday, judges on U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit panel expressed concern about whether the Tennis Channel's complaint was issued on time, and whether the FCC’s order affected its First Amendment rights.

A variety of outlets reported that Senior Judge Harry Edwards appeared ready to strike the FCC order on the grounds that the Tennis Channel’s discrimination complaint was filed outside the one-year FCC complaint window.

One of the judges said that it was “ludicrous” for the FCC to suggest that a complaint could be filed anytime somebody wanted.

Tennis Channel argues that if such a time limit were placed on complaints, then companies such as Comcast could wait for a year after a contract is signed and then discriminate against them as much as they like.

Comcast counters that being told where to place Tennis Channel is an invasion of its First Amendment rights because it is being ordered what to do editorially, and that it has a constitutional right to favor its own speech over others, so long as it does not do so for anti-competitive reasons.

There is no timetable set for the judges ruling, but a decision is expected in a few months.

The stakes are high: Tennis Channel has said that if it were move to the same basic tier that Golf Channel and NBC Sports are on, the network would be available in an additional 20 million homes, which could mean about $3 million per year in revenue. Tennis Channel is currently available in about 34 million homes nationwide.

Fish plans to play Indian Wells

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:23:00 -0500

Mardy Fish announces on Twitter that he plans on playing the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, which begins next week. He is also scheduled to play the LA Challenge exhibition next Monday night.

The 30-year-old has not played since he withdrew from his fourth-round match against Roger Federer at last year’s U.S. Open due to heart trouble. Fish reached the Indian Wells singles final in 2008; he partnered Andy Roddick to win the doubles title in 2009.

Australia concedes Fed Cup ground to Swiss

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:41:00 -0500

Switzerland and Australia have agreed that the Swiss will host April Fed Cup playoff tie outdoors on red clay at the Tennis Club Chiasso in Chiasso.

Tennis Australia was originally awarded choice of ground, but the Fed Cup Committee has approved a proposal by the two nations to move the tie to Switzerland. As part of the agreement, Australia will now have choice of ground on the next two occasions Australia and Switzerland meet in Fed Cup.

The winner of the tie will advance to the World Group, while the loser will be relegated to World Group II competition next year.

Gulbis: Some in Top 100 ‘can't play tennis’

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:23:00 -0500

Former Delray Beach champion Ernests Gulbis tells the Sun Sentinel that there are players ranked inside the Top 100 who aren’t very good.

The Latvian, who had to qualify for this week's tournament in Delray Beach, has seen his ranking drop from a career-high No. 21 in February 2011 to No. 109.

“I was really getting pissed to see who's in the top 100,'' the 24-year-old Gulbis said. "There are some guys who I don't know who they are. Some guys, I'm sorry, with respect—they can't play tennis."

Gulbis, who has been said by some to have Top 10 potential, hired coach Gunther Berezniki last summer and said that he is in better shape and ready to fulfill his potential.

"This is the first year I really want to do this,'' Gulbis said. "I'm starting to enjoy tennis much more. Before I didn't like it, honestly. I had a couple of good wins and enjoyed it. Then I went on the wrong path and was doing wrong stuff for my game. Now, I want to play maybe five more years and do the best I can. My goal is to really win something big.”

Mattek-Sands advances at Malaysian Open

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:47:00 -0500

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)—Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the United States won her first main-draw singles this year, beating 16-year-old Donna Vekic of Croatia 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 Tuesday in the rain-disrupted first round of the Malaysian Open.

Mattek-Sands, a former top-30 player who has slipped to No. 197, is playing as a wild card. She eliminated the sixth-seeded Vekic in nearly two hours.

The American has had more success in doubles of late, winning her second title of the year with Sania Mirza in Dubai last weekend.

Also advancing were fifth-seeded Misaki Doi of Japan, Patricia Mayr-Achleitner of Austria and Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic.

Playing Wednesday are top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki and defending champion Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan.

Del Potro saves match points to beat Baghdatis

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:34:00 -0500

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Juan Martin del Potro saved three match points Tuesday to get past Marcos Baghdatis 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) and reach the second round of the Dubai Championships, while Michael Llodra upset eighth-ranked Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets.

Top ranked Novak Djokovic, looking for his fourth Dubai title, had a much easier time against good friend Viktor Troicki, beating him 6-1, 6-4 in just over an hour.

Del Potro, who reached the quarterfinals in Marseille and won his 14th title the week before in Rotterdam, appeared sluggish early, handing the first set to Baghdatis when he hit one of his three double faults. But the 2009 U.S. Open champion served better in the second, and broke Baghdatis to go up 3-2. The two traded breaks in the third and Del Potro won it when the Cypriot hit a forehand into the net after a short rally.

Del Potro then saved three match points at 5-4 in the third before forcing the tiebreaker.

"I was fighting every time of the match," Del Potro said. "He's a great player. He fights like me every point, and we made fantastic rallies. The crowd was enjoying the game. I'm so glad to beat him tonight in Dubai."

Del Potro said his right wrist is still bothering him, having missed most of 2010 after having surgery on it and still struggling to return to the top.

"I'm trying to keep focus on this tournament because it's very important," Del Potro said. "And then to come for Indian Wells and Miami, I need good results here."

Tsonga, who had never lost in six meetings against Llodra, blamed the loss partly on the fact he only arrived in Dubai on Monday after winning the Open 13 in France. Tsonga also said a key turning point was when he had to replay a point at 4-3 in the first set, double-faulted twice and was broken.

"Maybe if I win the first set it gives me enough energy, maybe to play in the second and maybe win," Tsonga said. "But after that, I'm just disappointed and then I'm scared. ... I was supposed to win this set, and you do like two double faults because you're thinking about it. That's it."

Llodra broke Tsonga twice in the second set to go up 5-2 and clinched the match when his fellow Frenchman hit a return long.

"Today I didn't start well," Llodra said. "Beginning of the second set, I break him early, and after, it was just to be focused on my serve. ... It's special to beat him."

Coming off his third consecutive Australian Open title, Djokovic broke the 44th-ranked Troicki twice to easily win the first set. The second was tighter, with Troicki breaking Djokovic to even the set at 4-4. But Djokovic broke back and then clinched the match with a slicing serve that Troicki couldn't return.

"That was a great one, especially in the first set, considering the fact I haven't played an official tournament for three, four weeks," said Djokovic, who now has a 13-1 record against Troicki. "This is one of the fastest hard courts on the tour that I have experienced outdoors. So you need to be really committed to every point and play well."

In other matches, sixth-ranked Tomas Berdych made easy work of American wild-card entry Rajeev Ram, beating him 6-1, 6-3. Australian Bernard Tomic withdrew from his match against Romanian Victor Hanescu after falling behind 3-2 in the first set.

Former third-ranked Nikolay Davydenko of Russia had the other upset on the day, downing ninth-ranked Janko Tipsarevic 6-0, 7-5. It was the third tournament in a row that the Serb had lost his opening match after he injured his heel at the Australian Open.

The big-hitting Tipsarevic had trouble with his serve all match, committing six double faults and finishing with a first serve percentage of only 49 percent.

The 46th-ranked Davydenko said it was clear Tipsarevic isn't playing at this best.

"Maybe he doesn't have the confidence after the Australian Open," the Russian said. "After his injury, he tried to come back. (His) game is good but is not enough now. Maybe he will feel better in America."

Maradona wants to coach del Potro

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:14:00 -0500

Former soccer star Diego Maradona, who is an ambassador for Dubai Sports Council and has been attending WTA matches in Dubai this week, jokes that he will take charge of a fellow Argentine next week, when the ATP begins its tournament there.

“Next week I’ll be the one training [Juan Martin] del Potro myself," he told Gulf News. “I will ask Franco Davin to step aside and Diego will train del Potro.”

Kvitova calls Dubai a mini major

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:05:00 -0500

Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova has high praise for the depth of the Dubai field.

The world’s top two of Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka were in the draw before pulling out with injuries. Kvitova beat world No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-2, 6-4, today to reach the semifinals.

“Well I mean, it’s like a small Grand Slam,” she told reporters. “Everybody is playing there, so I can’t say that I have any chance I will win. I play my best I can.”

Nalbandian won't stress over ranking

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:54:00 -0500

Former world No. 3 David Nalbandian, who returned to singles play for the first time in six months last week in Sao Paulo (where reached the final), says he has changed his attitude about playing.

"I feel whole," the 31-year-old told reporters in Buenos Aires. “This year I'm going to be different. I want to go every week, choose which tournaments to play and enjoy them. I am not going to go crazy over rankings.”

The former Wimbledon finalist is currently ranked No. 78.

Tursunov upsets Tipsarevic to reach Marseille quarterfinals

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:42:00 -0500

MARSEILLE, France (AP)—Russian qualifier Dmitry Tursunov upset fourth-seeded Janko Tipsarevic 7-6 (4), 6-2 to reach the Open 13 quarterfinals on Thursday.

The 30-year-old Tursunov, a semifinalist at the tournament two years ago, saved the four break points he faced and broke serve twice.

Sixth-seeded Gilles Simon of France advanced to his third straight quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-1 win against Roberto Bautista-Agut, although Simon's serve was again not at its best. Although he broke his Spanish opponent seven times, he conceded three breaks of his own.

Simon faces either No. 2 Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina, the defending champion, or countryman Michael Llodra in the quarters, while Tursunov plays Gilles Muller of Luxembourg.

Wozniacki, Kvitova to meet in Dubai semifinals

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 09:07:00 -0500

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova overpowered defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 6-4 Thursday to set up a semifinal against Caroline Wozniacki in the Dubai Championships.

Wozniacki, once ranked No. 1, defeated Marion Bartoli 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, capitalizing on 14 double-faults and 46 unforced errors by her opponent. Two double-faults cost Bartoli games in the second set.

Doubles specialist Roberta Vinci of Italy surprised former U.S. Open champ Sam Stosur 6-2, 6-4 in their quarterfinal. She will next face doubles partner Sara Errani, who downed Nadia Petrova of Russia 6-4, 0-6, 6-3.

Radwanska, ranked No. 4, had no answers for the big-hitting Kvitova, who neutralized her opponent with a powerful forehand.

"I think to beat Agnieszka here it means something more because she's defending champion, so she's playing well here," said Kvitova, who has a 4-1 record against the Pole. "So that's a good sign for me."

Kvitova had 38 unforced errors against Radwanska and said she would have to play better against Wozniacki.

"I am a player who is going for the winners, so I have to accept the unforced errors, too," she said. "I shoot bullets on the court next time."

Wozniacki was almost untouchable in the second set, and the third went back-and-fourth. Bartoli jumped ahead 2-0 and then Wozniacki ran off five straight games. Bartoli won two straight to make it 5-4 but Wozniacki was able to hang on and serve out the match.

Afterward, Diego Maradona, an ambassador for the Dubai Sports Council, came onto the court to give her one of his signed Argentina jerseys emblazoned with his No. 10. The Dane gave the soccer great a signed tennis racket.

"It was disappointing to lose that first set after I had been up," Wozniacki said. "But then I felt like she couldn't really do much in that second set because I was all over it."

Vinci put away Stosur, who lost in the quarterfinals in Doha last week following a second-round exit at her home Australian Open. Stosur made 28 unforced errors and was broken twice in each set.

"Way too many errors," Stosur said. "She did well to not be bothered by anything I was trying to do. She used her slice very well which kept all the points neutral."

Despite the latest setback, Stosur felt she was improving over her dismal start to the year.

"January didn't really go as well as I wanted it to. I wasn't playing up to the standard and level that I think I'm capable of," she said. "The last couple of weeks, it's gotten better. I've played many more good matches than bad."

Vinci also ousted sixth-ranked Angelique Kerber. Her coach told her to attack Stosur's backhand.

"She has an unbelievable forehand, so I tried to play against her backhand because she has a lot of problem with backhand, and try some slice and also some top when I have time," Vinci said.

Vinci said her success in doubles -- the Italian has 19 doubles titles to only seven singles -- has contributed to her resurgence in singles, where she was ranked 17th.

"In doubles, you can try something that you can play in singles," she said. "I probably play more relaxed and then I play better in the singles."

Marseille: Berdych d. Gulbis

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:13:00 -0500

It doesn’t take much to make people hopeful about Ernests Gulbis again, does it? Coming into Rotterdam last week, everyone’s favorite lackadaisical Latvian was ranked firmly in the triple digits and had just one victory on the year. Brandishing a strange new forehand, though, Gulbis emerged from qualifying to reach the round of 16 and gave eventual champ Juan Martin del Potro a decent run for his money there. Even better, Gulbis claimed that he was going to cut back on the drinking and smoking. Fans wondered, not for the first, second, or even the third time: Was the 24-year-old Ernie, who has beaten Roger Federer and challenged Rafael Nadal on clay, and who is still the owner of a world-class serve, ready to turn things around at last?

We got our next piece of evidence today, when the 118th-ranked Gulbis faced top seed Tomas Berdych in Marseille. While Gulbis lost 6-4, 6-7 (10), 6-4, and that strange forehand failed him many, many times, this wasn’t a match that should make anyone write him off again just yet. Gulbis had upset Berdych in the first round at Wimbledon last year, and the Czech admitted today that he doesn’t like to play him: ‘You don’t know what’s going to happen,” Berdych said. Gulbis has the ability to take the racquet of a player’s hand, and Berdych, a power player himself, isn’t used to that.

What happened in the first set of this match, though, was fairly predictable. Gulbis earned two break points at 2-2, went for big forehand returns, and missed both of them. The two players then held until Gulbis was serving at 4-5. At 30-30 in that game, Gulbis drilled a backhand into the net. Down set point, he drilled a forehand into the net. What had been a close set was suddenly over.

The real surprise in this match wasn’t from the Gulbis side of the net; it was the fact that Berdych couldn’t close out the second set, and never looked comfortable on the court. After trading breaks in the middle of the set, the two went to a tiebreaker. Berdych saved two set points, only to squander three match points, one with a shank on a makeable forehand volley. Worse, he dumped a tentative forehand into the net at 10-10, and lost the set on a Gulbis forehand winner on the next point. Berdych really doesn’t like to play Gulbis; the Czech looked as tight trying to close out No. 118 as he does when he’s trying to close out one of the Big 4.

But he wasn’t tight enough to lose it. Berdych broke at 2-2 in the third, when Gulbis double-faulted and missed a forehand badly at break point. From there, Berdych held out, but it still wasn’t easy. He lost two more match points at 5-4, before kicking a nasty second serve into Gulbis’s body for the win, on his sixth match point.

Berdych advances to play the winner of Julien Benneteau and Jerzy Janowicz, and could be a tough out after surviving this one. As for Gulbis, I can’t say I like the new forehand. It involves a huge swooping motion with his left arm; by the time he gets around to swinging, he’s often on his back foot, and can look something like a tilting scarecrow as he hits.

If there’s going to be a Gulbis resurrection, it won’t be his forehand technique that leads the way. It will be, as it is for every player, how he deals with the psychological ebbs and flows of a match. Today he hung in when he was behind, saving five match points. But he didn’t deal with success all that well. He squandered his own break points, and when he finally broke Berdych at 3-3 in the second, he immediately gave his serve back. Gulbis seemed bothered by having the lead, slamming a towel to the ground and jawing with his father in the stands.

That was nothing compared to what Gulbis did with his racquet in the third set. Down a break at 3-4, he threw it to the court, watched it bounce high in the air above him, then threw it down again and shattered it. The sound was loud enough to force chair umpire Cedric Mourier to cover his ears. When Gulbis saw him do that, the two shared a laugh, a laugh that continued even as Mourier gave him a warning for racquet abuse.

Hey, maybe it’s a sign of progress: At least Gulbis cares enough these days to crush his racquet. The smash and the laugh, after all, are part of what fans like about Ernie, and why they get their hopes up about him so easily.

Top-seeded Ferrer into Buenos Aires second round

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:41:00 -0500

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP)—Top-seeded David Ferrer of Spain began his defense of the Copa Claro title with a comfortable 6-4, 6-1 victory over Argentine wild card Agustin Velotti on Wednesday.

Ferrer, ranked No. 4, is a heavy favorite to win his second tournament of the season. He won in Auckland, New Zealand, last month.

The first-round match was postponed Tuesday because of rain in the Argentine capital.

Second-seeded Nicolas Almagro of Spain played a second-round match later against Andrey Kuznetsov. Argentines David Nalbandian and Carlos Berlocq also played later in a first-round match.

Serena upset with Dubai over Sveta snub

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:14:00 -0500

Serena Williams criticizes the tournament officials in Dubai for not handing former two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova a wild card. The tournament gave out wild cards to veteran Marion Bartoli, as well as teenagers Laura Robson and Yulia Putintseva.

Kuznetsova was off the tour for six months due to a knee injury and just returned in Australia. A three-time finalist in Dubai, she is currently ranked No. 51. Kuznetsova owns a home in Dubai and when she found out she was not getting a wild card she tweeted: “Someone can explain me the Wild Cards of Dubai??? What a choice ...”

Williams, who is friendly with Kuznetsova, told reporters there that it was tough on the Russian.

“She’s such a great player and she got injured. She’s won a couple of Grand Slams, so it’s like how can such a great player not get a wild card?" Serena said. "It’s kind of weird, but she’ll be back and then she’ll be fine, so she doesn’t have a lot to worry about. (If I were in her situation) I would request a wild card, and if I didn’t get one, I probably wouldn’t play.”

Kuznetsova qualified, but lost to Roberta Vinci, 6-3, 6-2, in the first round.

“I read what Serena said, that she wouldn't play the tournament,” Kuznetsova said. “The thing is there aren’t so many tournaments to play. I wouldn't play it, either, because I think I deserve to have a wild card. But in my situation, I just have to go through this patch. Not many players that would say just ‘I'm not gonna play.’ But there’s also a good way to look at it. That I have to still be humble. I still have to prove that I can do it and I can go through qualies.

"It's very weird, believe me, to play qualies. You're like you cannot turn yourself on, like, 'Where am I? Am I playing qualies for real?’”