Hantuchova sends Wozniacki out of Paris

There are a couple of things that have given Daniela Hantuchova trouble throughout her career--playing on clay, and keeping her head together when she's winning. Lately, her clay performance has improved so much that I believed she would be competitive in Paris. The other part, however, I wasn't too sure about. But when keeping her head together meant a whole lot today, she carried off the task beautifully, and--in doing so--dismissed top seed Caroline Wozniacki from the French Open.

It wasn't a difficult match for Hantuchova; she allowed the world number 1 to win only four games. Hantuchova had first and second serve percentages of 76 and 61, she won at the net in seven of nine approaches, and she hit more than three times as many winners as Wozniacki. In an hour and 13 minutes, it was over, and Hantuchova--the very essence of sangfroid--had won, 6-1, 6-3.

Hantuchova performed at this level on clay (albeit green clay) last year when she took Jelena Jankovic out of the quarterfinals in Charleston. When she hits her groundstrokes consistently, she hits up and down both lines, and she's hard to beat, especially given her skills at the net. Hantuchova can hit hard and soft, and we saw both today, as she prevented Wozniacki from developing any kind of consistent rhythm.

Wozniacki does require a consistent rhythm, and when she doesn't get it, she can lose her way. Expectations that she would win the French Open were held by some; yet if Wozniacki lacked aggression in Paris, what will she do at Wimbledon, playing on faster courts? She insists there is "no pressure," but the fact of the matter is that she does not perform at the same level in majors as she does in some other events. In some form or other, that has to be a partly mental phenomenon.

Wozniacki, we heard a few weeks ago, is supposed to start working a bit with Martina Navratilova. Not that anyone has asked for my advice--but I think the player who could most benefit from working with Navratilova is Sam Stosur. Stosur has a lot going for her, but needs to overcome her discomfort with moving forward. (Piotr Wozniacki, by the way, made a point of saying that he and Caroline would have to pay for Navratilova's consultation "out of our own pockets" and that Navratilova's services were not inexpensive--sorry, I'm just not feeling the indignation.)

There were some notable "firsts" today. Hantuchova beat a number 1 player for the first time in her career (that is so hard to believe), and for the first time in the Open Era, the two top seeds (Kim Clijsters went out yesterday) made an exit from a major before the round of 16.

We're down to 24, and there are still a half dozen Russians in the draw, by the way. The chances are fairly good that--after tomorrow--there will still be a half dozen Russians in the draw. The way this tournament is going, however, nothing seems too certain. On the other hand, observers shouldn't really be surprised to see Wozniacki and Clijsters upset on clay,

Still hanging around, I should mention, is 6th seed Li Na, who has never before done especially well on clay courts. And 2009 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, who is always unpredictable, is also still going strong in Paris.

Defending champion and world number 1 advance to 2nd round of French Open

Defending champion Francesca Schiavone easily advanced to the second round of the French Open today with a 6-2, 6-0 defeat of Melanie Oudin. Schiavone is seeded 5th at the tournament.

Top seed Caroline Wozniacki also had an easy win, against Kimiko Date-Krumm. Wozniacki defeated Date-Krumm 6-0, 6-2.

11th seed Marion Bartoli had a bit of a scare when Anna Tatishvili took the first set from her at 6-1. But Bartoli was able to prevail, and allowed Tatishvili to win only three more games in the match.

Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai, who has had all kinds of problems lately, lost her first-round match, as did 26th seed Nadia Petrova, who was defeated by Anastasia Rodionova. Chan Jung-Jan defeated 31st seed Klara Zakopalova, and lucky loser Anastasia Pivovarova lost to Nuria Llagostera Vives.

Tomorrow, Maria Sharapova, Kim Clijsters, Li Na, and Victoria Azarenka will play their first round matches. Also playing tomorrow are Andrea Petkovic, Yanina Wickmayer and 2009 semifinalist Dominika Cibulkova.

Wozniacki wins inaugural event in Brussels

Caroline Wozniacki won her 16th title today, at the new WTA Brussels Open. This win is special, however, since it is the world number 1's first time to win a championship on red clay.

It wasn't an easy win. A 12-deuce game early in the second set gave spectators a taste of how tough both players were. Each player experienced ups and downs in quality and energy, but in the end, it was Peng whose game became error-strewn, and Wozniacki who was able to take advantage of those errors. The world number 1 continued her new trend of playing more offensively and hitting more winners. After two hours and 35  minutes, she defeated Peng 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to become the first Brussels champion.

The doubles champions are Andrea Hlavackova and Galina Voskoboeva, who defeated 2nd seeds Klaudia Jans and Alicja Rosolska 3-6, 6-0, 10-5.

Patty Schnyder blogged during the tournament, and on Thursday, she described her visit to the Atomium. Schnyder also writes about her own tennis, and about her anticipation of the French Open.

It's not how you play the game, but whether you win or lose

Anyone looking for a handy lesson on how to beat Caroline Wozniacki on red clay certainly could have gotten one from Francesca Schiavone today in Brussels. Only most of the tour's players don't possess Schiavone's amazing variety of shots. Oh, and Schiavone lost. As is too often the case with the Italian, her cleverness and athleticism were neutralized by her propensity to make a high volume of unforced errors.

Schiavone, the 3rd seed in Brussels, hit 44 winners in the 2-hour and 33-minute semifinal match, but she also made 53 unforced errors. Many of those errors were made right after Schiavone set up winners against her opponent. And speaking of winners--Wozniacki hit 20, which is quite a high number for the world number 1. There were nine breaks of serve in the match, which Wozniacki won 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

Wozniacki's opponent in the final will be 8th seed Peng Shuai. This is the first time that Peng has reached a Premier level final, and the way she has been playing lately, such a development seemed inevitable. Peng upset 2nd seed Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 6-3 today. She played a remarkably clean match and served extremely well, giving Zvonareva few opportunities to take an offensive stance.

Peng has never won a tournament, a fact that stands out as one of the oddities of the WTA. She reached the semifinals in Charleston last month, but was hampered by fatigue and a very in-form Elena Vesnina. Now she faces the world number 1, and this could be a very good final.

In doubles, 2nd seeds Klaudia Jans and Alicja Rosolska defeated Sofia Arvidsson and Andrea Klepac 6-4, 6-4. in the semifinals today. In yesterday's semifinal match, Andrea Hlavackova and Galina Voskoboeva defeated Elena Bovina and Kaia Kanepi 7-5, 6-1.

Passing shots

Svetlana Kuznetsova has split with her coach, Carlos Cuadrado. When it comes to Kuznetsova and Ivanovic, I need to have a "________ has split with _________" template on the ready.

Petra Kvitova and Vera Zvonareva are skipping the tournament in Rome. Kvitova will play in a $100k challenger in Prague.

Lisa Raymond recently had brunch with Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss in New York City. Raymond calls King a "ball of positive energy."

Piotr Wozniacki has taken a page from the Walter Bartoli playbook, and--during the clay season--is requiring Caroline to do three-hour workouts every day, including the days she plays matches.

Here is a video peek of Maria Sharapova's Eiffel Tower-inspired French Open dress.

Passing shots

Andrea Petkovic has hired Heinz Gunhardt on a part-time basis. Petar Popovic will continue to be her regular coach.

According to Matt Cronin, Caroline Wozniacki plans to hire Martina Navratilova as a consultant.

Hannah Wilks writes about Heather Watson.

Marion Bartoli has accepted a wild card into the Barcelona tournament, and is the top seed.

Victoria Azarenka, who has been dealing with a shoulder injury since before Fed Cup, reports that she hopes to be back on the court in Madrid.

Goerges wins Stuttgart championship

The German fans in Stuttgart got to see two of their countrywomen pick up trophies and bouquets today at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. German wild card Sabine Lisicki and her partner, Sam Stosur, won the doubles championsip when they defeated the all-German team of Kristina Barrois and Jasmin Woehr 6-1, 7-6.

Julia Goerges got more than a trophy and flowers. She not only won her first premier WTA event, but she did it by defeating the world number 1. She was given a shiny silveer Porsche, too, which she drove across the court after her 7-5, 6-3 victory.

Goerges has played great tennis all week. She took out Lisicki in the quarterfinals, and 5th seed Stosur in the semifinals. (She was also the recipient of a second round retirement from the ever-fragile Victoria Azarenka.) The match against Stosur was an especially good one, and Goerges had to push herself both mentally and physically to overcome the 5th seed. Today, playing in the biggest match of her career, she kept a cool head, served extremely well, and forced errors from Caroline Wozniacki by repeatedly throwing the Dane off of her rhythm and targeting the Wozniacki forehand.

The unseeded German won 72% of her first serve points, and 65% of her second serve points (she also won 72% of her first serve points against Stosur, and 68% against Lisicki); she hit 38 winners to 29 unforced errors. Strong on both sides, Goerges was aggressive throughout both sets, and wasn't afraid to go to the net to finish points.

The Stuttgart tournament is played indoors, so we will all be watching Goerges to see if she can maintain her progress outdoors on red clay. In Charleston, the clay surface is faster than it is in Europe, and Goerges ran hot and cold on it. Her forehand was in top form at the Family Circle Cup, but she also experienced what appeared to be mental lapses during some of her games. On the other hand, Charleston is the first tournament of the clay season, and it isn't unusual to see players struggle to make the adjustment from hard courts.

Goerges won the Bad Gastein title in 2009, and she is now 2-1 in finals. Wozniacki has yet to win a title on red clay. The world number 1, however, owns 16 titles, including the 2011 green clay event in Charleston. Goerges is the the second German to win in Stuttgart. Anke Huber won the tournament on an indoor hard court in 1991 and 1994.

Goerges and Wozniacki to meet in Stuttgart final

The home crowd in Stuttgart has something big to cheer for this year: Julia Goerges, who is unseeded, upset 5th seed Sam Stosur today in the semifinals. Goerges defeated Stosur 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 in a very well-played contest between two forehand-favoring players. The Goerges forehand, with its elaborate preparation, works well on clay, and Goerges moved expertly throughout the match.

Goerges will have plenty to do in the final. Her opponent is world number 1 Caroline Wozniacki, who defeated her friend Agnieszka Radwanska 7-5, 6-3 in the semifinals. Radwanska's serve was the best I have ever seen it, and I thought the match was going to three sets. Radwanska saved six match points, which added some excitement to the latter part of the match.

Stosur, by the way, is still in the doubles competition. She and Sabine Lisicki won their semifinal match against Vitalia Diatchenka and Mariya Koryttseva. In the final, they will play Kristina Barrois and Jasmin Woehr, who defeated Kathrin Woerle and Katalin Marosi. Lisicki and Stosur are wild cards; Barrois and Woehr are unseeded.

Passing shots

Dinara Safina is ill, and had to withdraw from the semifinals in Fes. Alberta Brianti received a walkover, and will play last year's runner-up, Simona Halep, in the final. Safina had not reached a semifinal since August of 2009.

Irina Falconi has won the USTA French Open wild card playoffs. Falconi defeated Julia Boserup 4-6, 7-6, 6-3 in the final, which was held in Boca Raton, Florida. The other competing players were Beatrice Capra, Lauren Davis, Madison Keys, and Grace Min.

Vikings player Bryant McKinnie, who is trying to drop 20 pounds before returning to the football field, has opted to take tennis lessons from Venus Williams. "She tires you out," the offensive tackle said of his teacher.

Chris Evert expects Caroline Woznaicki to win the 2011 French Open.

Kim Clijsters has been named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People for 2011. Time's staff apparently discovered that Clijsters had a baby and returned to work. She "juggles" a  career and a family. (Roger Federer is not known to "juggle" his career and family, which makes him, I suppose, a not very extraordinary woman.)

Steve Tignor has begun a series on books about tennis.

Stosur goes to first semifinal of the season in Stuttgart

The phrases "Vera Zvonareva" and "broken racquet" go together in the lexicon of women's professional tennis, but today in Stuttgart, it was a case of Vera Zvonareva and broken strings. The 2nd seed's strings broke repeatedly, sometimes more than once during a game. At one point, she had to use her coach's racquet. And for the sixth time in a row, Stosur beat her. The 5th seed--who is again showing signs that clay is the surface on which she is most comfortable--won 2-6, 6-3, 7-6, and will play Julia Goerges in the semifinals.

Goerges, who is the last German standing, broke countrywoman Sabine Lisicki at 4-all in both the first and second set, and walked away with a 6-4, 6-4 win. She and Andrea Petkovic lost in the doubles quarterfinals, however. They were defeated in straight sets by wild cards Stosur and Licsicki.

A lot of people probably expected Andrea Petkovic to be the last German standing. On paper, she should be. The "old Petkovic" used to choke away leads, and--just when we thought she had been banished--she showed up today in Stuttgart. Petkovic was up 4-1, 40-0 in the first set, and somehow managed to lose it 4-6. After that, top seed Caroline Wozniacki simply took over; Petkovic won one game in the second set.

Wozniacki's opponent in the semifinals will be Agnieszka Radwanska. I really wanted to watch Radwanska's match against Kristina Barrois because I so enjoy both of their games. In the middle of the first set, though, I had to leave. Radwanska won, 7-5, 6-3.

Wozniacki wins Family Circle Cup

All this week in Charleston, Elena Vesnina used her big serve to get out of trouble in matches. Today, however, the unseeded Russian's game-saving serve just wasn't there, and she was defeated 6-2, 6-3 by world number 1 Caroline Wozniacki. "My serve didn't help me today like it was helping me in the previous matches," Vesnina said after the final. "I was trying to go for the big serves, but it didn't go. It didn't fly that fast like it was flying before."

Wozniacki, on the other hand, won 75% of the time on her first serves, and hit six aces. She also broke Vesnina three times, but was never broken, though Vesnina saw four break opportunities. 

At the start of the match, each player held serve, then Wozniacki had to go through five deuces--with no break points--to win her next service game. The top seed then broke Vesnina. The seventh game was very close, and Vesnina appeared to be entering a zone for creating break opportunities, but she committed unforced errors at crucial times, and Wozniacki held for 5-2. Wozniacki then broke Vesnina and won the first set.

Vesnina became more aggressive in the second set, and continued her tournament-long pattern of using a lot of touch to win points. Her drop shots and lobs were well-placed, and when she served at 2-3 and went down a break point, she used a forehand slice to get back into the game and even the score. At this point, the fans broke into huge applause. 

Wozniacki then went down 0-30, but Vesnina missed a forehand that would have given her break point. She did get a break opportunity on the next point when she hit a forehand deep into the deuce court, but Wozniacki was able to save not only that break point, but also the next one. She used a relatively slow, high, serve to get to game point, then held. At 3-4, Vesnina saved one break point, but was broken on the next one. Wozniacki then had an easy hold to win the championship.

Vesnina said of her opponent: "...sometimes you feel that she's everywhere on the court, you know. Like she's covering the court, and she's changing a little bit of pace, and she's making you think and play, and that's why, I mean, she's tough."

Wozniacki now has a total of 15 titles. Today's victory was her third of the season.

Wozniacki and Vesnina--paths to the final

Tomorrow, top seed Caroline Wozniacki, the number 1 player in the world, will play Elena Vesnina in the final of the Family Circle Cup. Here is how each woman made it to the final:

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI
round 1--bye
round 2--def. Irina Falconi, 6-1, 6-1
round 3--def. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (15), 7-6, 7-6
quarterfinals--def. Yanina Wickmayer (6), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
semifinals--def. Jelena Jankovic (3), 6-4, 6-4

ELENA VESNINA
round 1--def. Rebecca Marino, 6-7, 6-2, 6-3
round 2--def. Bethanie Mattek-Sands (14), 6-4, 7-6
round 3--def. Sam Stosur (2, def. champ.), 6-4, 6-1
quarterfinals--def. Julia Goerges (12), 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
semifinals--def. Peng Shuai (11), 7-6, 6-3

Caroline Wozniacki has played four matches, whereas Elena Vesnina has played eight. Vesnina, who is unseeded, did not have a bye in the first round, and she has also played three doubles matches. The Russian player, who is ranked number 56 in the world, had not planned to play in Charleston this year because of a wrist injury. However, two-time Charleston runner-up Vera Zvonareva--who injured her wrist in Charleston a few years ago--advised Vesnina on getting treatment, which Vesnina said helped her a lot.

Also, Vesnina's coach (who is also her father) noticed that she had changed her technique, and that the change brought on the injury. "...if I'm going with the wrong movement again," Vesnina said, "mechanical, you know, shot, it starts hurting again. So I feel it only if I'm doing the wrong shot."

"...I'm just enjoying my time on the court," Vesnina said, "so I don't feel that I'm tired, or I'm trying to think that I'm not tired, and that's why everything is going my way."

Vesnina's highest singles ranking was number 22 in the world, which she held in 2009. She has a 1-4 record against Wozniacki. The last time they played was in 2010 on the green clay of Ponte Vedra Beach, in the semifinals, and Wozniacki won 1-6, 7-6, 6-4.

This is Vesnina's sixth year to enter the Family Circle Cup, and Wozniacki's third. In 2009, Wozniacki lost in the final to Sabine Lisicki, and in 2010, she injured her ankle and had to retire in the semifinals.

Top seed Wozniacki advances to Charleston final

The buzz around the tournament was that 3rd seed Jelena Jankovic was all set to win her second Family Circle Cup championship, but today, top seed Caroline Wozniacki had another take on the issue. Wozniacki defeated Jankovic 6-4, 6-4 in a semifinal match that should have had everything, but that was really not very satisfying.

Wozniacki was broken at the start of the match. Jankovic began coming forward, as she has been practicing, and went up an early break, though it took her a while. Wozniacki then held, and when the wind picked up, both players were broken at love. At 4-all, Wozniacki held at love. Serving at 4-5, 30-40, Jankovic kicked in a big serve which set her up for a winning volley, but she hit the ball into the net and was broken on the next point.

Jankovic, who used to be known for her expert movement and her ability to find wicked angles--especially with her backhand down the line--has not been herself since she suffered an ankle injury. She is serving much better (though not so much in today's match), but she doesn't have the transition game she used to have. Today, she made so many errors, it was hard to believe that this was the same player who handled the wind (a lot more wind, in fact) so expertly in the 2007 final. The 3rd seed did try to mix things up, but the strategy didn't work too well for her; her drop shots, for example, only drew passing shots from Wozniacki.

There were eight breaks of serve in the match, which lasted close to an hour and 48 minutes. Jankovic said later that "...sometimes I come to the net and I construct the points and I do all the things and then I'm just about to finish it and then I either make a  mistake or she does a great passing shot." That about sums it up.

Jankovic said of Wozniacki: "She makes very few errors. She doesn't go for winners. She doesn't even make mistakes, so you really have to beat her if you're going to win the match against her."

That sums it up pretty well, too.

"Sunshine mixed with clouds"

That was the weather forecast I heard on the radio on the way to the Family Circle Cup today. The "clouds," it turned out, came in the form of 6th seed Yanina Wickmayer, who pushed world number 1 Caroline Wozniacki to three tough quarterfinal sets in Charleston. Taking the ball quickly and hitting forehand winners up the line and crosscourt, Wickmayer won the first set 6-4.

The Belgian player then went up a break in the second set, but lost her serve at 3-2 when she made an ill-timed decision to hit a drop volley. Wickmayer remained very competitive, but she missed a number of volleys after setting them up as potential winners. At 4-5, Wickmayer was broken at love. She went up a break in the third set, and hit a crowd-thrilling stab volley when she attempted to take a second break over Wozniacki.

That break of serve did not happen. Wickmayer's net game improved somewhat in the third set, but Wozniacki became more aggressive. Wickmayer served at 4-5, and then--just like that--she appeared lost. Her service game declined, and she attempted one last drop shot with little commitment, giving Wozniacki a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory.

Throughout the match, Wickmayer hit solidly when she was being instinctual, but when she had a moment to think, things didn't go as well. She said, afterwards, that she had made a decision to add more dimensions to her game, and that she feels good about adding them. Clearly, she isn't comfortable with her new game yet, but she sounded positive about continuing to do more than "hitting, hitting." Wickmayer is working on a trial basis with  Vladimir Platenik, who is helping her expand her game. A former top 20 player, the Belgian would have had to reach the final in Charleston to return to the top 20.

I spoke with Wickmayer a few days ago about her physical health (a wall fell on her last year). She said that her leg is better, but that she is still having problems with the nerve, and she has been told by her doctors that it could take up to a year for the nerve damage to heal. (She also said that she enjoys skiing, but she can no longer ski because it's too risky: "I want to go too fast.")

Wozniacki has now been seriously challenged in two consecutive matches, but has prevailed in the usual Wozniacki way--by getting almost every ball back, waiting for her opponent to make errors, and turning to aggression when she believes it's necessary. Her next opponent is Jelena Jankovic, who ended the exciting run of Christina McHale with a 6-2, 6-0 win. Wozniacki is 1-4 against Jankovic. The two have never before faced each other on clay.

The match between Wozniacki and Wickmayer was a really noisy affair. Near me, there was action going on with some type of tournament equipment, a walkie-talkie-type communication somehow got amplified, and there was loud talking and laughing from some fans (something you usually hear at night matches). And of course, there was the repeated "Om-pah," "Whoopee!" exchange from the players.

Seeds of doubt

Elena Vesnina upsets the defending champion

The 2nd, 5th, 7th, and 10th seeds were upset in the 3rd round of the Family Circle Cup on Thursday, and 1st seed Caroline Wozniacki barely escaped when she had to win two long tiebreaks against a clever, net-rushing Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.

Defending champion Sam Stosur, seeded 2nd, was dominated by Elena Vesnina, who defeated her 6-4, 6-1. Stosur's backhand was unreliable, and Vesnina did not appear to be especially bothered by the Australian's forehand. After the match, Stosur said that her opponent's flat, low strokes rushed her during points. Vesnina said that winning the doubles championship (with Sania Mirza) in Indian Wells gave her increased confidence.

Jelena Jankovic goes to the quarterfinals

5th seed Shahar Peer was defeated 6-2, 6-3 by 12th seed Julia Goerges, who stunned her with forehand winners. 11th seed Peng Shuai defeated 7th seed Nadia Petrova 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, and Christina McHale upset 10th seed and 2010 semifinalist Daniela Hantuchova. McHale's 7-6, 6-1 victory puts her into the quarterfinals against 3rd seed Jelena Jankovic, who defeated Chanelle Scheepers in straight sets. 2009 champion Sabine Lisicki, who upset 4th seed Marion Bartoli in the second round, was defeated in the third round by Sania Mirza.

Wozniacki's 7-6(6), 7-6(9) victory over 15th seed Zahlavova Strycova came after the top seed was seriously tested. Zahlavova Strycova took away Wozniacki's rhythm by continually changing the pace of the rallies. Zahlavova Strycova also took over the net for much of the match, and hit a number of decisive forehand winners. Unfortunately, the Czech player's strength was also her weakness: Her forehand produced multiple errors, too.

Down 2-5 in the first set tiebreak, the 15th seed made five straight points, but then made an unforced error on set point. She also held a set point in the second set tiebreak, and she went on to save three match points. Zahlavova Strycova played with a lot of touch and savvy, and she came in with a solid game plan, but she couldn't win the big points when she needed to.

Qualifier Anna Tatishvili's run ended yesterday--respectably. 6th seed Yanina Wickmayer defeated the gutsy Tatishviili 6-4, 7-5.

Passing shots

Ana Ivanovic has withdrawn from Marbella. She and Andrea Petkovic have also withdrawn from doubles in Miami.

Today is Sam Stosur's birthday. The defending champion was given a party in the Althea Gibson Clubhouse at the Family Circle Cup site. Also on the site is Patty Schnyder, who has begun practicing.

The Charleston qualifying field includes Sania Mirza, Heather Watson, Sloane Stephens, Coco Vandeweghe, Irina Falconi, Michelle Larcher De Brito, Jamie Hampton, and Alison Riske.

Greg Garber writes about Victoria Azarenka.

WTA Backspin looks back at some special players.

"I lost a match. It happens. If she had a plan, good for her," Caroline Wozniacki said of her loss to Andrea Petkovic in Miami.

It's time to get to know Noppawan Lertcheewakarn.

You make me feel like dancing

Today in Miami, Andrea Petkovic did what Daniela Hantuchova was not quite able to do--the 21st seed took number 1 seed Caroline Wozniacki out of the Sony Ericsson Open. Whereas Hantuchova (who has a history of problems closing big matches) couldn't hold her nerve, Petkovic had no problem in that area. She also had no problem hitting repeatedly to Wozniacki's forehand and moving way inside the baseline to take charge of Wozniacki's second serves.

The German player (known on this blog as Dance Party) said after the match that she went in with a solid plan, and she stuck with that plan, even after losing a set. Petkovic credits working out a game plan with her coach and staying on that plan as the reason she was able to defeat Wozniacki. The top seed held three set points on Petkovic's serve in the first set, but Petkovic saved them all, and went on to hold and break. This kind of mental resolve helped take the 21st seed to victory. "Most players think they can overpower Caroline," Petkovic said, "but that's the wrong approach. She brings every ball back. I mixed it up, and thankfully, it worked in the end."

After the match, Petkovic performed her customary boogie on the court, and she really had something to dance about; she is the first German player to reach the Miami quartefinals since Anke Huber did so ten years ago. Dance Party now faces 6th seed Jelena Jankovic, who defeated Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-1, 6-3 in the fourth round.

Passing shots

The Fed Cup tie between Japan and Argentina will be held in Kobe, Japan July 16-17. The event, scheduled to be played in Tokyo, had to be postponed because of the current crisis in Japan.

You can get to know Sloane Stephens. (One of her interview answers may surprise you.)

Yanina Wickmayer, Alisa Kleybanova, Peng Shuai, Jelena Dokic, Rebecca Marino, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, and Maria Kirilenko will all be competing in the Family Circle Cup in Charleston next month. The field also includes three former champions--Nadia Petrova, Sabine Lisicki and Sam Stosur. And yes, Patty Schnyder will be there!

And speaking of the Family Circle Cup: Alyssa D’Orazio, a junior at the College of Charleston, has been awarded this year's $5,000 Family Circle Cup scholarship. 

Caroline Wozniacki issues a challenge.

Dominika Cibulkova talks about racquets, strings, Lacoste outfits, and her game.

Sunshine in the desert

World number 1 Caroline Wozniacki won her 14th WTA title today, and it's a big one: Wozniacki defeated 15th seed Marion Bartoli 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 in a highly entertaining final that had just about everything a fan could want. Wozniacki's speed and Bartoli's aggression created a good deal of drama on court, at least in the two final sets.

Bartoli's on again-off again serve failed her in the first set, and as a result, all her otherwise-good effort could not save her from a 1-6 loss. But she came roaring back in the next set, serving in high form and spending a lot of time at the net, where she hit a number of successful volleys that she set up with the aggression that marks her game when she is in top form.

But in the third set, we saw a tired Bartoli. Broken right away, she was down 0-2, 0-40, yet held, which seemed to put breath back into her. Down 2-4, Bartoli went up 40-0, then found herself at deuce, but she held then, too. Wozniacki's forehand became shaky in the third set, and Bartoli--broken twice--got one of the breaks back. But the Frenchwoman looked too exhausted to continue playing at the high level necessary to compete against Wozniacki. The top seed got frustrated a few times, and she looked fragile now and then, but she was so fast and got back so many balls, Bartoli just couldn't stay with her.

Despite its ups and downs--maybe because of them--this match displayed, at various times, the very best of both players. Bartoli now returns to the top 10, though she will be busy defending semifinal points in Miami next week.  As for Wozniacki--she has now won a very big tournament, which puts her an important step closer to winning a major. The world number 1 is a model of fitness, and when I say that she's a human backboard, I mean it in a very good way. Like the great Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Wozniacki rarely meets a ball she can't run down, and she almost always appears energized. Shots that would be clear winners against most other players find their way to the Dane's racquet, and--more often than not--she returns them cleanly.

Last year, Wozniacki lost to Justine Henin in the Miami quarterfnals. Anything can happen, of course, but it doesn't seem like much of a stretch to say that she will do better this year.

The heat was hot, and the ground was dry

But the air was full of sound.

The screams of Maria Sharapova seemed to take on a new meaning last night in the California desert, as she won only three games and made 41 unforced errors in her semifinal match against world number 1 Caroline Wozniacki. Sharapova. seeded 16th in Indian Wells,  looked lost--almost from the first moment--and failed to hold serve in the first set. She waited longer than is her custom to strike, she flubbed what few volleys she set up, she had repeated service problems, and she missed the lines on many occasions. Wozniacki did not find it necessary to do much more than serve as a backboard for the Russian's errant shots. After an hour and 20 minutes, she advanced to the BNP Paribas Open final.

Yesteday's other semifinal match featured Marion Bartoli at her absolute best, serving and returning at a very high level against 23rd seed Yanina Wickmayer. Bartoli had a moment, at the beginning of the second set, in which she double-faulted three times consecutively, but other than that, her serve was on fire, and she ended the match with ten aces and an 83% first serve win percentage. The 15th seed defeated Wickmayer 6-1, 6-3.

Should Bartoli (who dealt with a stomach virus earlier in the tournament) play in the final the way she did in the semifinals, there will be an exciting contest tomorrow. But between Bartoli's physical fragility and the ever-changing success of her service game, all we can do is be optimistic that she repeats her performance. Wozniacki, on the other hand, has taken consistency to its highest level.

In doubles, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Meghann Shaughnessy will compete today in the final against Sania Mirza and Elena Vesnina.  Mattek-Sands and Shaugnessy received a walkover in the semifinals from 6th seeds Victoria Azarenka and Maria Kirilenko. Mirza and Vesnina defeated Daniela Hantuchova and Agnieszka Radwanska 6-0, 6-4.