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Ana Ivanovic has withdrawn from Marbella. She and Andrea Petkovic have also withdrawn from doubles in Miami.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

Lertcheewakarn wins junior Wimbledon title

Last year, she lost to Laura Robson in a very high quality match, but this year, 4th seed Noppawan Lertcheewakarn took the Wimbledon junior girls' title by defeating Kristina Mladenovic, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1. Mladenovic, the top seed, was hoping to win consecutive majors; she won the junior title at the French Open last month.

After winning the first set, Mladenovic went up an early break in the second, but Lertcheewakarn broke back to make the score 2-all; she would go on to win that set. The 4th seed broke Mladenovic immediately in the third set, and went up 4-0. Mladenovic was able to win only one game in the final set.

Mladenovic hit more than four times as many winners as Lertcheewakarn, including eight aces. She also made twice as many unforced errors.

Bogdan and Lertcheewakarn win French Open junior doubles title

Elena Bogdan and Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, the number 2 seeds, have won the junior girls French Open doubles championship. They defeated 3rd seeds Timea Babos and Heather Watson, 3-6, 6-3, 10-8.

Update on Lertcheewakarn

News comes from Zoo Tennis that junior world number 1 Noppawan Lertcheewakarn is currently being coached by Tom Kriese, former men's head coach at Clemson University. Lertcheewakarn is making the transition from juniors to the professional tour, but will compete in juniors in the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

Lertcheewakarn upset by Robson

Number 1 junior girls seed Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, who has had a remarkable run through the Australian Open, has fallen to the same girl who defeated her in the 2008 Wimbledon final. Laura Robson defeated Lertcheewakarn 6-4, 6-3 in their semifinal match. 5th-seeded Robson will play number 3 seed Ksenia Pervak in the final. Pervak defeated number 2 seed Ana Bogdan, 6-1, 6-3.

Top seed drops 12 games in 4 rounds

Junior girls' number 1 seed Noppawan Lertcheewakarn has made it through to the semifinals of the Australian Open without dropping a set. She has also served three bagel sets, and has given up a total of only twelve games. Lertcheewakarn was the 2008 junior Wimbledon finalist. She lost--in a high quality match--to Laura Robson, whom she will meet in her Australian Open semifinal. 5th-seeded Robson defeated number 4 seed Elena Bogdan to get to the semifinal.

Date-Krumm continues her campaign

Kimiko Date-Krumm, as I have written before, has no current plans to return to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, but instead, is playing small tournaments in Japan. She just won another one--a #25K challenger--in which she defeated talented junior Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, 6-1, 6-1.