Azarenka and Sharapova to play for Indian Wells title

Victoria Azareka increased her match win streak to 22 yesterday by defeating Angelique Kerber 6-4, 6-3 in the BNP Paribas Open semifinals. It should have been more of a contest, in my opinion, but Kerber just wasn't there much of the time; I suspect fatigue of some sort. Top seed Azarenka will play 2nd seed Maria Sharapova in the final. Sharapova defeated Ana Ivanovic when Ivanovic retired in last night's match. Sharapova won th first set 6-4, and Ivanovic had just won the opening game of the second set when she stopped playing. Her left hip was injured, and she said she could no longer push off from it. She was obviously in quite a bit of pain.

In doubles, top seeds Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond defeated Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-1, 6-2, which is a surprising scoreline. On Thursday, defending champions and 2nd seeds Sania Mirza and Elena Vesnina saved five match points and went on to defeat the other Czech team--3rd seeds Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka--5-7, 7-5, 10-3. Hlavackova and Hradecka led 5-2 in the second set. Mirza and Vesnina beat the same team in the opening round in Indian Wells last year, and lost to the Czechs in the 2011 French Open final.

We don't see this too often, but in both singles and doubles, the two top seeds will compete in the finals. The doubles final will be played today, and the singles final will take place tomorrow.