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


Singles - Quarterfinal: (1) Victoria Azarenka def. (8) Li Na 3-6 6-3 6-3
That makes it official and formal: Li Na will be falling from #8 to #9. Not what she wanted three weeks before she has to defend her Roland Garros title. And it will be hard for her to regain the ground, because Serena Williams, our new #8, is still adding points:

Singles - Quarterfinal: (9) Serena Williams def. (2) Maria Sharapova 6-1 6-3
Not only does this gain points for Serena, it costs Maria Sharapova points, because she was last year's Rome champion. Sharapova is still #2 in safe points -- but her ranking, as of when this ended, was not secure....

Singles - Quarterfinal: (4) Agnieszka Radwanska def. (Q) Varvara Lepchenko 6-4 6-4
And Sharapova's ranking still is not secure. Agnieszka Radwanska is now within about 450 points of #2. A title would take her there.

Singles - Quarterfinal: Lucie Hradecka def. (5) Samantha Stosur 7-6(10-8) 7-6(8-6)
This just keeps getting harder to believe. Lucie Hradecka has beaten Peng Shuai, Petra Kvitova, and now Samantha Stosur at this event. She has increase her points by about 75%, and will rise from #105 to around #55. She leaves Samantha Stosur at #5 -- and in danger of going lower next week.

Doubles - Semifinal: (5) Errani/Vinci def. (4) Kirilenko/Petrova 7-5 6-7(4-7) 10-5 (Match TB)
This is going to get interesting. Errani/Vinci win lots of titles -- but they generally don't win big ones.

Doubles - Semifinal: Makarova/Vesnina def. Llagostera Vives/Martinez Sanchez 6-4 7-6(7-4)
Elena Vesnina really should be taking bids for her services. Right now, Kveta Peschke might be in the market for a replacement for Katarina Srebotnik....