Lepchenko upsets Pennetta in 1st round of French Open

Flavia Pennetta hasn't had such a good season. A serious shoulder injury took her out of Italy's Fed Cup semifinal, which Italy lost. She's been trying to make her way back, but her performance today at the French Open was filled with uncertainty, and--as hard as she fought--the talented Italian just made too many mistakes against an in-form Varvara Lepchenko (who's having her best season ever). During the match, I kept returning to my idea that, during times like these, someone should put Pennetta into a trance and give her the suggestion that she's actually playing in a Fed Cup match. Pennetta looked sad and puzzled during parts of the third set. She saved four match points, but on the fifth, Lepchenko took the match 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.

Pennetta, the tournament's 18th seed, was not the only player to be upset in the opening round. 19th seed Shahar Peer, not surprisingly, was defeated 7-6, 6-1 by Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands fought back from a first set loss to defeat Arantxa Parra Santonja, and Stuttgart champion Julia Goerges defeated Mathilde Johansson in straight sets, though the second set was rather messy.

Defending champion out of Rome in first round

Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, who brilliantly defeated Jelena Jankovic in last year's Rome final, was defeated today in the first round of the 2011 Italian Open. Ekatarina Makarova defeated Martinez Sanchez 6-0, 5-7, 6-4. Gisela Dulko and Alexandra Dulgheru went out, too, defeated by Iveta Benesova and Polona Hercog, respectively.

Also defeated in the opening round was 2009 French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. Kuznetsova lost to Greta Arn, 3-6, 7-6., 7-6. The third set tiebreak score was 11-9, and the match lasted three hours and 22 minutes. The third set, in fact, lasted an hour and 47 minutes. Arn saved four match points, and won on her fifth match point.

Clijsters squeaks into Miami quarterfinals

Kim Clijsters won the first set 7-6. Ana Ivanovic won the second, 6-3, then went up 5-1 in the third. She held five match points, too, but it was the 2nd seed who walked away with the win when she prevailed 7-5 in a third set tiebreak. Clijsters double-faulted eleven times in the match, but has to be given credit for making an amazing comeback against the 19th seed.

There were some upsets today. Top seeds Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta were defeated by 8th seeds Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and Anabel Medina Garrigues. The Spanish team defeated Dulko and Pennetta 7-5, 6-4 in a match that featured twelve breaks of serve. In singles, 6th seed Jelena Jankovic lost her quarterfinal match to 21st seed Andrea Petkovic. Petkovic, who has always had talent but who used to fall short in the nerve department, seetms to have turned that situation around. She defeated Jankovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, giving her an excellent follow-up to her defeat of world number 1 Caroline Wozniacki.

And then there was the quarterfinal match between Alexandra Dulgheru and Maria Sharapova, which seemed like the Match That Wouldn't End. At 5-all in the third, serving at 30-15, Sharapova left the court to have the trainer look at her foot after she turned her ankle (she had called for the trainer earlier, but had changed her mind); she then received medical treatment. Dulgheru can be somewhat of a wall (talk about fitness), and she was happy to hang in and continually retrieve balls and wait for the 16th seed to make errors. They played almost three hours and 29 minutes, and broke each other 18 times. It went on for so long that Dulgheru did a costume change. Once she hurt her foot, Sharapova really started taking it to the 26th seed, with Dulgheru giving it right back, as she moved Sharapova around the court as much as possible.

Sharapova, who made 76 unforced errors (including 17 double faults), won the match 3-6, 7-6, 7-6. Dulgheru's relentless defense game almost paid off, but not quite. How Sharapova will fare in terms of foot strength and energy is unknown, but she put herself back into the top 10, no matter what. She also did a very good job of working around her injury and the feelings that obviously accompanied it.

Several years ago, I watched Nadia Petrova beat down Sharapova, and throughout the match, Petrova's name was mentioned only once. Commentators Mary Joe Fernandez and Cliff Drysdale could not stop talking about Sharapova, even as she was being hammered by her countrywoman. I thought of that tonight when I had Tennis Channel on (the picture is more stable than on Tennis TV, so sometimes I have them both running). To hear Lindsay Davenport go on, Dulgheru wasn't even there. Funny--I saw Dulgheru play her heart out, change the pace when she needed to, switch from defense to offense, and skillfully run down balls that would have created winners against other players. But Davenport would not give her any credit. Even when co-commentator Ted Robinson said "Dulgheru deserves a lot of respect," Davenport changed the subject.

I enjoy watching Sharapova as much as the next person, and--as anyone who reads this blog knows--I have not been part of the "Sharapova's career is over" trend. This isn't about Sharapova: It's about a commentator's ridiculous fawning over a player--which is problematic in itself--and her subsequent dismissal of the opponent. It took Sharapova three and a half error-strewn hours to overcome Dulgheru; maybe the 26th seed could be acknowledged as at least being part of the match?

(And while I'm on the subject of Tennis Channel: The Family Circle Cup in Charleston, a premier event, takes place next week, but according to Tennis Channel, it doesn't exist. The commentators have the women heading straight from Miami to Europe.)

Wozniacki wins Dubai

Top seed Caroline Wozniacki defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-3 today in the final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. It wasn't until the latter part of the match, in fact, that Kuznetsova began to play in the form that has helped her win titles. For most of the match, she looked a bit sluggish, and she created a great number of unforced errors. Wozniacki, for her part, did not waver, getting back almost everything, and setting up some beautiful winning shots. She broke Kuznetsova's serve seven times.

This is Wozniacki's 13th WTA Tour title; tomorrow, she returns to the number 1 ranking position.

The ad hoc team of Liezel Huber and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez won the doubles title, defeating top seeds Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik 7-6, 6-3.

Semifinal draws set in Moscow & Luxembourg

Two Russian players remain in the draw in Moscow, and they will play against each other in the semifinals. 6th seed Maria Kirilenko, who defeated qualifier Zarina Diyas in the quarterfinals, will play Vera Dushevina, who defeated countrywoman Anna Chakvetadze.

In the other semifinal match, 8th seed Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez--who appears to be back in her groove following an injury layoff--will play 2nd seed Victoria Azarenka. Martinez Sanchez defeated Dominika Cibulkova today, and Azarenka defeated 7th seed (and also Russian) Alisa Kleybanova.

Kirilenko and Azarenko, seeded 4th in doubles, were beaten today by number 1 seeds Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta. Martinez Sanchez, playing with Sara Errani in Moscow, defeated Akgul Amanmuradova and Darya Kustova. Errani and Martinez Sanchez are seeded 3rd.

In Luxembourg, 8th seed Julia Goerges--who has been getting some good results lately--upset 4th seed Ana Ivanovic 6-3, 6-1 in the quarterfinals. She will play Angelique Kerber in the semifinals; Kerber defeated Polona Hercog. In the second semifinal, Anne Keothavong will play Roberta Vinci. Keothavong defeated Iveta Benesova 6-7, 6-2, 6-4. Keothavong hit seven aces. Vinci defeated Kirsten Flipkens.

Benesova and partner Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, who are seeded 1st, have already reached the final. The second semifinal will be played tomorrow.

Tokyo play begins

Number 1 qualifying seed Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez did not get through qualifying, but she became the Toray Pan Pacific Open lucky loser when Li Na withdrew from the tournament because of a gastro-intestinal illness. Martinez Sanchez lost in the first round, however, to Maria Kirilenko. Kirilenko defeated her 6-3, 6-7, 6-1.

The only qualifier to win today was Greta Arn, who defeated qualifier Laura Robson. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, seeded 16th, defeated Dominika Cibulkova, and Andrea Petkovic defeated Gisela Dulko.

Number 2 qualifying seed Jarmila Groth went out in the final round to qualifying, as did Anastasia Rodionova.

The tournament's top four seeds are Caroline Wozniacki, Vera Zvonareva, Jelena Jankovic, and Sam Stosur.

Martinez Sanchez withdraws from Wimbledon

Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez has withdrawn from Wimbledon because of a knee injury. This news comes right after it was announced that Dinara Safina had withdrawn.

The 34th seed spot has been taken by Kateryna Bondarenko. Lucky loser Anastasia Pivovarova moves to the main draw.

Here is an updated list of withdrawals:

Peng Shuai (illness)
Sabine Lisicki (ankle injury)
Elena Dementieva (calf injury)
Virginie Razzano (hip injury)
Carla Suarez Navarro (ankle injury)
Dinara Safina (lower back injury)
Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (knee injury)

Injured Martinez Sanchez out in 1st round of French Open

Italian Open champion Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez sustained a neck injury during her first round at the French Open today, and--though she continued to play--she was not able to overcome opponent Akgul Amanmuradova. Amanmuradova's 6-2, 6-4 win over the 20th seed gives her a second round meeting with Johanna Larsson, who defeated Anastasija Sevastova.

Martinez Sanchez is uncertain whether she will be able to compete in doubles.

Defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, after going down 0-3 in the first set, had a straight-set win over 2009 quarterfinalist Sorana Cirstea, and Madrid champion Aravane Rezai allowed opponent Heidi El Tabakh to win only two games. Meanwhile, Gisela Dulko finally had her first clay court victory of the season, taking out 10th seed Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 6-2. Azarenka has not had much match play lately because of a thigh injury, and is not moving  well, which made matters much easier for Dulko. I think this was an upset possibility, anyway, though perhaps not one with a 6-1, 6-2 scoreline.

Venus Williams took her record against Patty Schnyder to 11-0, U.S. player Varvara Lepchenko defeated U.S. wild card Christine McHale, Anna Chakvetadze went out to Angelique Kerber in a tight three-set match, and Andrea Petkovic--who defeated Elena Vesnina--hit twelve aces.

It's "unorthodox" only if you have no frame of reference

It amazes me how many sportswriters--now that they have been forced to notice Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez--are describing her playing style as "unorthodox" and even "weird." It is neither. "Throwback" I'll accept, and more the pity that there's truth in that. Martinez Sanchez, when she was a very little girl, used to watch Martina Navritalova on television. Therefore, as a child, she used to run to the net right after she served the ball. That's called "aggression," and it is a very useful tactic.

I even saw a fan on the Web express doubt as to whether Martinez Sanchez was playing tennis at all--after all, she's supposed to be engaged in hitting the ball. No, she's supposed to be engaged in winning points. I think there are a lot of people who need to sit down and watch some Navratilova and Evonne Goolagong matches.

And while I'm on the topic, what Martinez Sanchez does is not "junk"--it's spin variety, cleverness, aggression, and great use of the volley. It wins points, and it's a lot of fun to watch. I thought the game was more intersesting when players used wooden racquets, and it's nice to see a player who is willing to use a contemporary racquet for power, but not neglect touch and volley. That would be the Rome champion.

Unseeded Martinez Sanchez wins Italian Open

Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows that I wasn't exactly shocked that the unseeded Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez made it to the semifinal of a big tournament. And I wasn't that surprised that she made it to a final, either, though she has been known to collapse at big moments against big players. Any regular reader also knows that I am a major JJ fan, and I really did want her to get her third Rome title.

And I thought she would. But Martinez Sanchez, whose bag of tricks makes me long for days gone by, knew what to do. She lost her nerve a few times, yes, but she found it when it mattered most.

When contemporary tennis experts were handing out today's "rules," Martinez Sanchez wasn't listening: Never use a drop shot on return of serve. Use a drop shot only in an emergency. Work your way into the rallies. "Pardon--did you say something?..."

It can be successfully argued that the Spaniard over-used her favorite shot in the first set, but--on the other hand--even the drops that didn't work kept what had to be a tired opponent running and running. But Martinez Sanchez is about more than drop shots. She can slice, spin, volley from all parts of the court, and make it up as she goes along. She's fast, she can stretch out quickly, and she has that increasingly elusive gift--a good serve.

Jankovic, it should be noted, played well. The 7th seed is one of the very best movers on the tour, and she's harder to push around with aggression than many other players would be. She's also a very smart player, and there were moments in the Rome final when you could literally watch her figure out her opponent. She also knew--as did we all--that nerves would be a major factor in Martinez Sanchez's first big tour final. Jankovic had not only been there before, she'd won the title twice before.

Martinez Sanchez went up 5-2 in the first set, and had a set point at 5-3, but was broken. At 5-all, Jankovic broke, but was broken back, and a tiebreak ensued. Martinez Sanchez won that tiebreak 7-5, closing it with serve-and-volley finesse. Martinez Sanchez immediately broke in the second set, but was broken back to create a 3-all scoreline. Martinez Sanchez then went up 5-3, but was broken again. At 5-all, the Spaniard hit two flat forehand down-the-line winners to go up 6-5, and she won the match with another serve-and-volley play. At 7-6, 7-5, Martinez Sanchez fell backward onto the clay before greeting the crowd and accepting her trophy. In two sets, she hit 44 winners, many of which were either smacked or gently nudged from the net.

There were many entertaining moments in the match, particularly when--toward the end of the second set--the two women engaged in rapid-fire volleying right at the net. Jankovic hit the clay so often that by the end of the match, she looked something like a lime-tinted Arantxa Sanchez Vicario.

Both women had great tournaments. And although Jankovic failed to win a third title in her beloved Rome, she can still say she took out both Williams sisters in one tournament--and consecutively, at that. Jankovic is playing very well on clay right now, and also seems quite strong mentally. The big win for Martinez-Sanchez represents yet another turning point in the late-blooming Spaniard's career, and clay season just gets better and better for fans.

Dulko & Pennetta go to Rome final

Ever since Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta began playing doubles together again, they have been the new hot team. They won both Miami and Stuttgart, and now they are in the final in Rome, after defeating Liezel Huber and Nadia Petrova 6-2, 4-6, 10-5 in the semifinals.

The Italians' opponents will be last season's Sony Ericcson Championships winners, Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, who is also in the singles final. Llagostera Vives and Martinez Sanchez, seeded 2nd in Rome, defeated 4th seeds Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs 6-2, 7-6 today.

Sounds like old times...

Serena, Jelena, Ana, and Maria. That sounds like a semifinal draw from a couple of years ago. It isn't quite the same though. The "Ana" part is a surprise, and the last name on that list refers to clay court artist Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, not the other Maria, who probably wouldn't be on the list even if she were healthy.

Ivanovic has made a resurgence in Rome, and has advanced to the semifinals via her defeat today of 14th seed Nadia Petrova, who just can't seem to put it together anymore, not even on clay, at the deep end of a tournament. Ivanovic served her way to a 6-2, 7-5 victory, and will play Martinez Sanchez in the semifinals. Martinez Sanchez defeated Lucie Safarova 7-6, 6-4. Expect some big serving from both players in their match tomorrow.

Top seed Serena Williams defeated Maria Kirilenko 6-1, 6-4 in the quarterfinals. Kirilenko was down 0-4 in the second set, but fought back to create a contest.

And then there was Venus Williams, whose serve was terribly off today, and--to make it worse--she faced a completely in-form Jelena Jankovic. Jankovic loves Rome. She has won the tournament twice, and her first big career turn-around took place there. Jankovic won 6-0, 6-1 in just under an hour. She will play Serena Williams in the semifinal. Jankovic is 3-4 against Williams in tour matches, and they have never before faced each other on clay.

Jankovic and Martinez Sanchez put on shows in Rome today

Jelena Jankovic hit 22 winners and made only 7 unforced errors today in her steamrolling victory over 11th seed Yanina Wickmayer today in Rome. Jankovic hit 6 aces, and had service win percentage of 75 and 73. Hitting over 30 winners, and demonstrating why some of us love to watch clay court tennis, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez looped and dropped her way to a 6-4, 6-4 victory over 2nd seed Caroline Wozniacki. Martinez Sanchez now has a 3-0 head-to-head lead over Wozniacki.

Lucie Safarova also continued her recent good form, defeating number 8 seed Agnieszka Radwanska 1-6, 6-3, 7-6. Radwanska won only one point in the tiebreak. Ana Ivanovi appears to be back among the winners, too, defeating Elena Dementieva 6-1, 7-6.

Here is the quarterfinal draw:

Serena Williams (1/wc) vs. Maria Kirilenko
Venus Williams vs. Jelena Jankovic
Ana Ivanovic vs. Nadia Petrova (6)
Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez vs. Lucie Safarova

Williams and Jankovic have quite a rivalry going. They have met ten times, and have split the wins evenly. All but one match went to three sets. Jankovic leads Williams 3-1 on clay surfaces.

In doubles today, the number 3 seeds, Cara Black and Elena Vesnina, had to retire in their second round match because Vesnina sustained a lower back injury. Other seeded teams advanced today in the second round, with 4th seeds Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs advancing to the quarterfinals.

Jankovic and Stosur advance to Indian Wells semifinals

aAlisa Kleybanova finally ran out of fuel, and no wonder, with the battles she has fought in this year's BNP Paribas Open. Kleybanova has provided the most entertainment in Indian Wells, however, and she has a lot of which to be proud. Today, though, she just didn't have as much to give, and 6th seed Jelena Jankovic hung with her and took advantage, winning their quarterfinal match 6-4, 6-4. Kleybanova, as usual, hit a lot of winners, but also made a lot of unforced errors.

The other quarterfinal match featured two players known for their great serves and their expert volleys, but you might not have known that if you saw them for the first time today. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, who got to the quarterfinals by taking out both 3rd seed Victoria Azarenka and 13th seed Yanina Wickmayer, was obviously a bundle of nerves in this, her first really big quarterfinal appearance. I thought that--as the match went on--Martinez Sanchez would relax more and get into a groove, but she never really did. There were flashes of her wonderful serving and her quickness at the net, but those were neutralized by multiple errors, both forced and unforced. The Spaniard held a set point in the second set tiebreak, but could not convert.

As for 8th seed Stosur, she was not at her best, but she was certainly good enough, and between her cracking forehand and her opponent's anxiety, she had a 6-3, 7-6 win.

Jankovic and Stosur will play one another in the semifinals. The other semifinal match will feature 5th seed Agnieszka Radwanska and 2nd seed Caroline Wozniacki, who are close friends.

Martinez Sanchez goes to Indian Wells quarterfinals

Slow courts and heavy tennis balls. That sounds like a positive formula for someone like Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, and--sure enough--the Spanish clay court and doubles specialist has worked her way into the Indian Wells quarterfinals. Martinez Sanchez, who took out 3rd seed Victoria Azarenka in the third round, defeated 13th seed Yanina Wickmayer in the fourth round today. Martinez Sanchez, seeded 28th, is an aggressive player with a lot of shot variety who has had outstanding service stats throughout the tournament. She defeated Wickmayer 6-4, 6-4.

Defending champion Vera Zvonareva, seeded 12th, also made an exit today. She was defeated by 8th seed Samantha Stosur. Stosur's 6-2, 7-5 victory places her in the top 10. Stosur is now 4-2 head-to-head against Zvonareva, and has beaten her four times in a row.

6th seed Jelena Jankovic defeated 17th seed Shahar Peer 6-2, 6-2; Peer had serious problems with her serve throughout the match. Also winning were 5th seed Agnieszka Radwanska (def. 11th seed Marion Bartoli), 4th seed Elena Dementieva (def. 19th seed Aravane Rezai), 18th seed Zheng Jie (def. wild card Alicia Molik), and 23rd seed Alisa Kleybanova (def. Carla Suarez Navarro).

2nd seed Caroline Wozniacki defeated 16th seed Nadia Petrova 6-3, 3-6, 6-0. Wozniacki has obviously been working on her serve, and is looking sharp in this tournament.

Here is the quarterfinal draw:

Alisa Kleybanova vs. Jelena JankovicMaria Jose Martinez Sanchez vs. Samantha Stosur
Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Elena Dementieva
Zheng Jie vs. Caroline Wozniacki

Martinez Sanchez upsets Azarenka in 3rd round of BNP Paribas Open

Hitting seven aces and prevailing in a tiebreak, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez pulled off the second biggest upset yet tonight in this year's BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. She defeated 3rd seed Victoria Azarenka 7-6, 6-2. The 28th seed is a doubles specialist (and co-winner of the 2009 Sony Ericsson Championships) with an attractive singles game that includes a very good serve.

9th seed Flavia Pennetta also dropped out today, a victim of 17th seed Shahar Peer, who defeated Pennetta 6-4, 6-7, 6-1. Pennetta looked very good when the season began, but she has gone out earlier than expected in most tournaments this year.

14th seed Kim Clijsters will likely be asking herself "What happened?" for some time to come. Clijsters played 23rd seed Alisa Kleybanova, who--at first glance--appears to personify what Mary Carillo long ago defined as "big babe tennis." Kleybanova is a hard hitter who is happy to go head-to-head with other big ball-strikers. But there is more to Kleybanova's game than just hard hitting, as Clijsters learned tonight. Kleybanova can volley, she can do quick change-ups, and she can hit some difficult angles.

Kleybanova won the first set 6-4. The second set was all about Clijsters, who performed so well that she grabbed the set 6-1 in no time at all. Then she went up 3-0 in the third, and it looked like she was going to make short work of winning the match. But things changed. Kleybanova appeared troubled but determined, and Clijsters started getting sloppy. Before long, it was 3-all. The pair stayed on serve, and there were some tense moments, especially for Kleybanova, who still looked a beat behind Clijsters. When Kleybanova served at 4-5, Clijsters was two points from winning the match. But she didn't. When Kleybanova served at 5-6, Clijsters as two points from winning the match. But again, she didn't.

The match went to a tiebreak, and Clijsters went up 4-0. And then Kleybanova won seven straight points, and that was that.

Kleybanova did a great job of moving Clijsters around the court, and she also did a good job with her second serve, which often kicked up high enough to give Clijsters problems.

In other third round matches, Carla Suarez Navarro defeated 27th seed Agnes Szavay, 13th seed Yanina Wickmayer defeated Roberta Vinci, Jelena Jankovic defeated Sara Errani, defending champion and 12th seed Vera Zvonareva defeated Anastasija Sevastova, and 8th seed Sam Stosur defeated 25th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The scoreline for that match, 6-3, 6-0, was somewhat of a surprise.

Spaniards back on top in Dubai

Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, after losing in straight sets in the third round of the Australian Open and losing to Australia in straight sets in Fed Cup, found their winning ways again today in Dubai. The 2nd seeds defeated Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik 7-6, 6-4 in the final of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships.

There were nine breaks of serve in the championship match. Llagostera Vives and Martinez Sanchez came back from being 2-5 down in the first set, and were in danger of going down 3-5 in the second.

Spaniards upset in 3rd round of Australian Open

Maria Kirilenko is at it again. The woman who took out Maria Sharapova in the first round of the Australian Open has also--along with partner Agnieszka Radwanska--upset the 3rd seeds in doubles. Kirilenko and Radwanska, seeded 15th, soundly defeated Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in the third round today. The 6-1, 6-2 victory over the winners of the 2009 Sony Ericsson Championships is as surprising an upset as any we have had so far.

Next for Kirilenko and Radwanska are Laura Robson and Sally Peers.

Now, for the "What do I know?" department

I was looking forward to a tasty third round match between Svetlana Kuznetsova and Aravane Rezai at the Australian Open, but Rezai won't be there. The 26th seed was upset in straight sets by Angelique Kerber in the second round today. I didn't get to see this match, and I was pretty surprised by the result. Rezai is one of the players I thought might even pull off a big upset.

I also thought that, given the court surface in Melbourne, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez would defeat Zheng Jie, but I was wrong about that, too. Zheng won 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, and the last game was a bit of a thriller itself. When Zheng served for the match at 5-3, Martinez Sanchez saved three consecutive match points. She then had a break point but could not convert it. Zheng then had a fourth match point, which Martinez Sanchez also saved. Martinez Sanchez got a second break point, but didn't convert that one, either. Finally, on her fifth match point, Zheng prevailed.

I was a bit surprised to see Elena Vesnina go out in the first round, but given her inconsistency lately, I suppose I shouldn't have been. The 28th seed lost to Tathiana Garbin, a player I enjoy watching. Melinda Czink lost in the first round, too, to Stephanie Voegele, in a very tight match--7-5, 6-7, 9-7.

Kaia Kanepi spent the last part of her second round second set looking at break points she couldn't convert. I lost count--there were around eight, then--on her first game point--Nadia Petrova won the set and the match.

Maria Kirilenko continued her winning ways, moving to the third round with a win over Yvonne Meusburger. In her first round match, Daniela Hantuchova went from 0-4 down in the third set and won against Victoriya Kutuzova. And Elena Baltacha upset 30th seed Kateryna Bondarenko in straight sets; Baltacha advances to the third round.

Spain wins 3rd Hopman Cup trophy

It wasn't supposed to be this way. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez was expected to defeat Great Britain's Laura Robson in the Hopman Cup final, and Andy Murray was expected to defeat Tommy Robredo. What happened, though, was that Robson won, 6-1, 7-6, giving Martinez Sanchez her first loss in Perth this week. The Spaniard saved four match points, but Robson prevailed on the fifth.

Robredo, however, came prepared to put things back on track, and he did just that, defeating Andy Murray 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. The Spanish team then won the mixed doubles match 7-6, 7-5.

This is the third time that Spain has won the Hopman Cup, and the second time that Robredo has been on the winning team.