Azarenka starts 2013 in style

Updated January 02, 2013 23:25:33

World number one Victoria Azarenka has continued her Down Under love affair by warming up impressively for her Australian Open tennis defence.

In her first match of the 2013 season, Azarenka maintained her flawless record at the Brisbane International with a 6-3, 6-3 second-round victory over German Sabine Lisicki.

The 23-year-old did not drop a set en route to the inaugural tournament title in 2009 and she never gave the world number 37 a look in during her return on Wednesday night.

The flat, heavy groundstrokes and strong return of Lisicki's big serve held sway over one hour 27 minutes to take her unbeaten match record to four against the German.

Azarenka thrives on the Australian plexicushion courts and broke through for her maiden grand slam win at Melbourne Park last year - wiping Maria Sharapova off Rod Laver Arena 6-3, 6-0 in the final - after previously taking out the Sydney International.

It was the springboard to a 26-match unbeaten streak, the longest on the WTA Tour since Martina Hingis in 1997, which propelled her to the number one ranking.

Azarenka will play Kazakhstan qualifier Ksenia Pervak, who upset Caroline Wozniacki in the opening round, in a Thursday quarter-final but is set for a semi-final showdown against Serena Williams in a mouth-watering replay of the 2012 US Open final.

World number three Williams will play compatriot Sloane Stephens in her Thursday night quarter-final.

Lisicki upset Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon last year but could not keep the pressure on Azarenka.

The 23-year-old threatened to take the match into a third set by clawing back to 3-4 in the second but the top seed lifted to close out the match.

Azarenka praised Lisicki's serve and fight in what was a tough battle.

"At the beginning, it's always good to see where you're at right from the start so I'm happy I went through it," she said.

"There's things to work on and hopefully tomorrow I will be better."

In the night's other match in the women's draw, American Sloane Stephens beat Sofia Arvidsson 6-3, 6-4.

Earlier in the day, Jarmila Gajdososova became the last Australian woman to be eliminated from the tournament when she lost to lucky loser Lesia Tsurenko.

In the men's competition, fourth seed Alexandr Dolgopolov beat Jarko Nieminen 6-2, 4-1 on Wednesday evening when the Finnish player pulled out due to a migraine.

Earlier, fifth seed Kei Nishikori beat Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-3, third seed Gilles Simon beat Alejandro Falla 7-6, 7-6 and Marcos Baghdatis upset sixth seed Florian Mayer.

AAP

Tags: sport, tennis, brisbane-4000

First posted January 02, 2013 23:09:46

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Stosur starts with win in Madrid

Updated May 06, 2012 09:31:39

US Open champion Samantha Stosur got off to a winning start at the Madrid Masters Saturday, the Australian advancing to the second round with a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5) defeat of Croatian Petra Martic.

Stosur was joined by Romanian Sorana Cirstea, who upset French seventh seed Marion Bartoli 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-3.

French Open winner Li Na, the eighth seed, also made it through after dominating her opener against teenaged Madrid debutante Garbine Muguruza Blanco of Spain, who saved two match points before finally falling 6-2, 6-4.

Unseeded Mona Barthel won an all-German battle, eliminating 2011 semi-finalist Julia Goerges 6-4, 6-1.

"This time last year I was ranked around 200 and now I'm close to being seeded," said Barthel, making her Madrid debut. "It feel strange, but I worked hard for it.

"I'm serving well and moving better on the clay and I'm obviously benefitting from confidence right now."

Venus Williams, the losing finalist two years ago, was pushed hard by Romanian Simona Halep before winning 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), while Spain's Silvia Soler-Espinosa beat Austrian Tamira Paszek 6-7 (2/7), 6-2, 6-2.

The men begin play later on Sunday, with the top eight seeds given a bye.

Rafael Nadal, seeded two, will get his first test on the unorthodox and experimental blue clay courts which have drawn the Spaniard's anger when he plays the winner from the match between Croatian Ivo Karlovic and Russian Nikolay Davydenko on Sunday.

AFP

Tags: sport, tennis, australia, spain

First posted May 06, 2012 09:31:39

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Djokovic, Federer off to winning starts

Posted May 24, 2011 12:15:00

Novak Djokovic took his unbeaten record in 2011 to 38 wins before Roger Federer demonstrated to the unstoppable Serb that he is still a French Open force.

Second seed Djokovic enjoyed a 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 dismissal of hapless Dutchman Thiemo De Bakker in the first round before 16-time major title-winner Federer romped to a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) win over Spain's Feliciano Lopez.

Also going through on a sweltering day at Roland Garros was former US Open champion, and 2009 semi-finalist here, Juan Martin del Potro, a winner in four sets against Croatia's Ivo Karlovic.

But sixth seed Czech Tomas Berdych, a semi-finalist last year, wilted in the heat, losing in five sets to French qualifier Stephane Robert, the world number 140.

One day after his 24th birthday, the red-hot, world number two Djokovic comfortably saw off the 71st-ranked De Bakker in just 92 minutes.

Djokovic, who is likely to depose Rafael Nadal as world number one by the end of the tournament, is also favourite to snatch the Spaniard's French Open title, having seen off his rival in the Madrid and Rome claycourt finals.

His win on Monday took him to within four victories of equalling John McEnroe's 1984 record for a winning season start of 42 triumphs.

"It's my favourite grand slam, even though I haven't won it yet," said Djokovic, a semi-finalist in 2007 and 2008.

"I've been playing really well on clay. I've won three (claycourt) tournaments (Belgrade, Madrid and Rome) in the last few weeks, so I'm trying to build on that confidence," added Djokovic, whose complete winning streak has now reached 40 matches, stretching back to Serbia's Davis Cup triumph in December.

Djokovic, the Australian Open champion, who has seven titles under his belt already this year, will play either French wild card Benoit Paire or Romania's Victor Hanescu for a place in the last 32.

World number three Federer, playing at his lowest seeding in eight years at a grand slam, is taking part in his 46th consecutive major.

He had won all his previous eight matches against Lopez but would have been wary of an opponent who had a match point in their last encounter at the Madrid Masters second round earlier this month.

However, he was in little danger on Monday, cruising to victory against a player who has now lost eight times in the first round in 11 Paris visits.

Federer will next tackle French wild card Maxime Teixeira for a place in the last 32.

"It was different to Madrid, the conditions were slower and Feliciano maybe didn't get as many free points as he thought he might have done," said 2009 champion Federer.

"It was important for me to be solid on my serve from start to finish, which I was. I think I played a good match."

Argentina's del Potro overcame a first-set blip to defeat Karlovic.

Del Potro, who was a doubt for the tournament because of a hip injury, having missed the 2010 event due to wrist surgery, claimed a 6-7 (7/9), 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 win.

The 25th-seed hit 21 unforced errors to Karlovic's 42 and will next face Slovenia's Blaz Kavcic, with Djokovic a potential third round opponent.

"I'm not thinking about Djokovic," said Del Potro. "Kavcic is playing well. I'll need to play good tennis, probably better than today."

Top seed Nadal, bidding to equal Bjorn Borg's record of six French Open titles, gets his campaign underway on Tuesday against John Isner of the United States.

Berdych, a semi-finalist last year and the Wimbledon runner-up, slumped to a shock 3-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 9-7 defeat against Robert, despite having had a match point at 5-4 in the final set.

It was 31-year-old Robert's first career win at Roland Garros and just his second victory in eight grand slam appearances.

The only other seeds to tumble out on Monday were French number 22 Michael Llodra, who lost 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to Belgian qualifier Steve Darcis, and Canadian 26th seed Milos Raonic.

He went down 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to Germany's Michael Berrer.

- AFP

Tags: sport, tennis, france

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