Bartoli retires, and Petkovic wins Strasbourg

Those who follow Marion Bartoli know that, as a tournament progresses, a retirement could come. It came today, in the final of the Internationaux de Strasbourg. Top seed Bartoli had to stop playing because of a left thigh injury, and 2nd seed Andrea Petkovic won the match 6-4, 1-0. This is Petkovic's second WTA title. When the new rankings come out next week, she will be number 12 in the world.

4th seeds Akgul Amanmuradova and Chuang Chia-Jung won the doubles title by defeating 2nd seeds Natalie Grandin and Vladamira Uhlirova 6-4, 5-7, 10-2.

Peng wins gold at Asian Games

Peng Shuai has won the gold medal in singles at the 2010 Asian Games. Peng defeated Akgul Amanmuradova 7-5, 6-2 in the final. China had already won the team gold medal.

The gold medal winners in doubles are Chan Yung-Jan and Chuang Chia-Jung, who used to be a force on the tour before they began playing with other parnters. Chan and Chuang defeated Chang Kai-Chen and Hsieh Su-Wei 7-5, 6-3, meaning that both gold and silver belong to players from Chinese Taipei.

Chan, with partner Yang Tsung-Hua, also won the gold medal in mixed doubles. Chan and Yang defeated Sania Mirza and Vishnu Vardhan 4-6, 6-1, 10-2. They were the second seeds.

Peng and Amanmuradova to play in Asian Games final

Akgul Amanmuradova and Sania Mirza played for 2 hours and 49 minutes in their Asian Games semifinal match, and Amanmuradova emerged the winner with a score of 6-7, 6-3, 6-4. The third seed will play Peng Shuai, who is seeded fourth, in the final. Peng defeated Kimiko Date Krumm 7-6, 3-6, 6-2. Date Krumm, who won the Games in 1994, had problems with her serve, and she was also somewhat tired, she said later; she credited the crowd with pushing her to the third set. The former gold medal winner hit 59 winners and made 73 unforced errors.

Chan Yung-Jan and Chuang Chia-Jung, formerly a highly-ranked team on the WTA tour, got back together for the Asian Games, and have made it to the doubles final. Their opponents will be Chang Kai-Chen and Hsieh Su-Wei. Chan will also play in the mixed doubles final. She and Yang Tsung-Hua will compete against Sania Mirza and Vishnu Vardhan.

Jankovic and Wozniacki both taken out in Cincinnati 3rd round

Qualifier Akgul Amanmuradova played the match of her life today in Cincinnati. She upset top Jelena Jankovic 7-6, 6-4 in the third round. Amanmuradova hit twelve aces, didn't double-fault once, and had first and second serve percentages of 80 and 75. Jankovic never saw a break point opportunity.

2nd seed Caroline Wozniacki, who has defeated 16th seed Marion Bartoli the last few times they have played each other on hard courts, was upset 6-4, 6-1 by Bartoli today. When the Frenchwoman's serve is on, she is very hard to beat, and today it was as on as it has ever been. Bartoli rolled through the match like a woman on a mission. Those who live in the U.S. got to see her extended interview, which was almost as good as the match.

10th seed Maria Sharapova defeated 7th seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3, 6-2, 11th Flavia Pennetta defeated 6th seed Vera Zvonareva 6-4, 6-3, and 12th seed Yanina Wickmayer defeated 8th seed Li Na 2-6, 6-2, 7-6. Istanbul champion Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova defeated 13th seed Shahar Peer 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

Also advancing to the quarterfinals were Ana Ivanovic who defeated Elena Vesnina), and 4th seed Kim Clijsters who defeated wild card Christina McHale.

Here is the quarterfinal draw:

Yanina Wickmayer vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Akgul Amanmuradova vs. Ana Ivanovic
Kim Clijsters vs. Flavia Pennetta
Maria Sharapova vs. Marion Bartoli

Miscellany

Alicia Molik, seeded 2nd in the qualifying draw for the Andalucia Tennis Experience in Marbella, was defeated 7-6, 6-0 today by Beatriz Garcia Vidagany in the second round of qualifying.

Because it's so important that we know she's a blonde...

"I don't really understand the whole Twitter thing," says Sam Stosur. "Who cares if you're eating a sandwich or getting a haircut?" Amen, sister.

But also from Stosur: "I don't really read that many books...."

Serena Williams says she has not set a date to return to the tour. She has withdrawn from Marbella.

Casey Dellacqua has apparently withdrawn from the Family Circle Cup. Sabine Lisicki has withdrawn from the MPS Group Championships in Ponte Vedra Beach. She is continuing to rehabilitate her ankle.

And finally, here's something from Miami you didn't see on television:

Shvedova upset in Tashkent

Number 1 seed Yaroslava Shvedova was upset today at the Tashkent Open by Akgul Amanmuradova. Amanmuradova defeated Shvedova 6-4, 7-6, and will play 2nd seed Shahar Peer in the final. Peer defeated 4th seed Olga Govortsova, 7-5, 6-2.

At the Hansol Korea Open in Seoul, Kimiko Date Krumm continued her comeback campaign by winning her semifinal, defeating Maria Kirilenko, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. In the final, she will play 2nd seed Anabel Medina Garrigues, who defeated Anna-Lena Groenefeld, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Amanmuradova and Sugiyama upset Stosur and Stubbs in Eastbourne

Yesterday, Sam Stosur and Rennae Stubbs upset the world number 1 team of Cara Black and Liezel Huber, but today, it was they who were upset. The AEGON International championship was won by Akgul Amanmuradova and Ai Sugiyama. Amanmuradova and Sugiyama defeated Stosur and Stubbs 6-4, 6-3.

Amanmuradova says hometown pressure got to her

It is entirely my fault and I am very angry with myself for not taken chances in the first set tiebreak. At this level these mistakes are unpardonable and it is shame for me to lose in my hometown.

But I had tremendous pressure of my country on me before I went to play and admit that I could not handle the pressure, and I apologize to the fans for my performance.

That is what Akgul Amanmuradova had to say about her Tashkent Open first round loss to Urzula Radwanska. Radwanska defeated her, 7-6, 6-3, which, I'm sure, was a great disappointment to the crowd. Amanmuradova sounds like she's being pretty tough on herself, though. Urzula Radwanska isn't exactly an easy first round draw. Hometown pressure is tough, though, and not just for younger players. Amelie Mauresmo seems to almost dread playing in the French Open, for example.

Amanmuradova was seeded 7th. The number 2 seed, Olga Govortsova, made a first-round exit, too. As for Radwanska, she made it through the second round, but in the quarterfinals, she faces Sabine Lisicki, which will not be an easy task.

Defending champion out in first round in Bangalore

Defending champion Yaraslava Shvedova met her match today in Bangalore

Yaraslava Shvedova, the 2007 winner of the Bangalore Open, went out in the first round today to opponent Akgul Amanmuradova, who defeated her 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Amanmuradova's next task is to play Agnes Szavay. Upset, anyone?