© 2012 Daily Tennis News Wire -
MUTUA MADRID OPEN
Madrid, Spain
Thursday Women's Summary


Singles - Third Round: (2) Maria Sharapova def. Lucie Safarova walkover (GI Illness)
Hm. Could it be that the blue clay looks like ocean and is making players seasick? It appears Lucy Safarova will end up at #22.

Singles - Third Round: (4) Agnieszka Radwanska def. Roberta Vinci 7-6(7-1) 6-4
The contest for #2 isn't getting much clearer. Agnieszka Radwanska can still take the spot -- if and only if she wins Madrid and Maria Sharapova loses her next match. Of course, even if Radwanska doesn't make it this week, she is likely to have another chance at Rome. And it is there that the #2 Roland Garros seed will be settled.... We show Roberta Vinci at #19.

Singles - Third Round: (9) Serena Williams def. (6) Caroline Wozniacki 1-6 6-3 6-2
A lot of this may be Caroline Wozniacki's ankle injury, but it is very lucky for Wozniacki that Marion Bartoli went out early. Wozniacki stays #6 -- but just barely. As for Serena Williams, she is getting closer and closer to earning the #8 ranking. But it's now pretty much a straight contest between Serena and Li Na: Whoever lasts longer gets it, with ties to Serena.

Singles - Third Round: (Q) Lucie Hradecka def. Ekaterina Makarova 6-2 7-6(7-5)
This is getting hard to believe. What has gotten into Lucie Hradecka? #105 coming in, she is up to around #70. She leaves Ekaterina Makarova around #40.

Singles - Third Round: (Q) Varvara Lepchenko def. Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-1 6-7(3-7) 6-3
What a strange set of quarterfinalists: Six Top Ten players -- and two qualifiers ranked below #70. Of course, Varvara Lepchenko, like Lucie Hradecka, will be climbing a lot. We show her rising from #77 to around #55. She leaves Anabel Medina Garrigues just below the Top Thirty -- and Medina Garrigues will lose some points from Strasbourg next week. So this loss might well cost Medina Garrigues her chance for a seed at Roland Garros if she can't add points at Rome.

Doubles - Quarterfinal: Llagostera Vives/Martinez Sanchez def. (2) Peschke/Srebotnik 6-4 6-4
This is probably largely due to Katarina Srebotnik's continued struggle to get back into form, but it is still amazing how quickly Llagostera Vives/Martinez Sanchez have revived their partnership.

Doubles - Quarterfinal: (4) Kirilenko/Petrova def. (7) Shvedova/Voskoboeva 6-1 6-2
Maria Kirilenko is hobbled by her ankle, and it cost her in singles, but it doesn't seem to be affecting her doubles much!

Doubles - Quarterfinal: (5) Errani/Vinci def. (WC) Cibulkova/Husarova 6-4 7-5
Given that Errani/Vinci are the second-highest seeds left, and that they are the top pair of healthy seeds, this looks like a big chance. But do they want to go all-out here? Rome, after all, is next week!

Doubles - Quarterfinal: Makarova/Vesnina def. Dulko/Suarez 6-7(5-7) 6-2 10-5 (Match TB)
It's starting to look as if Sania Mirza needed Elena Vesnina a lot more than Vesnina needed Mirza. Dulko/Suarez still have a shot at a Roland Garros seed, but this makes it significantly harder.