French Open champion out in 1st round of Wimbledon

Last year, Francesca Schiavone suprised everyone by reaching the quarterfinals of Wimbledon. This year, she suprised a lot of people by winning the French Open. But her 2010 Wimbledon run did not even go for one match, though it did go for 2 hours and 54 minutes. Schiavone and former junior Wimbledon champion Vera Dushevina played a hard-fought match that ended with a 6-7 (all 7 points to Schiavone), 7-5, 6-1 victory for Dushevina.

4th seed Jelena Jankovic had to deal with the big-serving Laura Robson and a crowd of Robson supporters. Robson hit 13 aces, but could not overcome the deft movement of Jankovic (who, by the way hit ten forehand down-the-line winners). Eastbourne champion Ekaterina Makarova was down 2-5 in her second set against Agnes Szavay, but won the match 6-4, 7-6. And Alison Riske--though she played quite well--was not able to defeat Yanina Wickmayer twice in a row. Wickmayer, the 15th seed, won their match 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, but one could not help but be impressed with both the game and the poise of Riske.

It took her four match points but 13th seed Shahar Peer defeated Ana Ivanovic 6-3, 6-4. 2nd seed Venus Williams, 8th seed Kim Clijsters, and 17th seed Justine Henin all won in straight sets, as did Melanie Oudin. Alona Bondarenko served for the match in the second set, and was broken; opponent Katie O'Brien then won that set in a 12-10 tiebreak. When Bondarenko served for the match a second time, she won (6-3, 6-7, 6-4) on her fourth match point, after facing a break point.

More drama on day 3 in Madrid

On Saturday, it was 5th seed and French Open defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. On Sunday it was French Open favorite Justine Henin. And today it was defending champion Dinara Safina who went out in the first round of the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open. Klara Zakopalova, when she's focused, is a fine hitter. She was very focused today, and Safina couldn't handle her. Zakopalova's deep ball-striking did in Safina's forehand, and the world number held on to take the match 7-6, 7-6. Safina was up 4-1 in the first set, and served twice for the second set, but simply could not make her game work today.

Meanwhile, the top seed, Serena Williams, played the longest match of her career today, spending  3 hours and 26 minutes on the court with Vera Dushevina, who just wouldn't go away. Dushevina went up 4-0 in the third set tiebreak, but anyone who has ever watched Dushevina knew what was about to happen; closing matches is simply not her strong suit. Williams won, 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, and advances to the third round.

8th seed Sam Stosur barely made it out of the first round. She survived a predictably tough contest against Gisela Dulko. There was only one break in the match, which Stosur took 7-6, 7-5.

Agnes Szavay and 10th seed Victoria Azarenka both retired, both with right thigh problems. The beneficiaries of these retirements were Patty Schnyder and wild card Peng Shuai, respectively.

Petra Kvitova and Caroline Wozniacki played a first round match that pretty well summed up their playing styles: Kvitova hit exactly four times the winners Wozniacki hit--and lost in straight sets.

Dushevina wins Istanbul Cup

It took Vera Dushevina less than 42 minutes to defeat Lucie Hradecka in today's Istanbul Cup final. Dushevina, who was seeded 5th, defeated the the number 8 seed 6-0, 6-1. On her way to the title, the champion upset world number 21, Anabel Medina Garrigues.

This is Dushevina's first tour singles title; she has been a finalist in three other tournaments.

Hradecka and Dushevina to meet in Istanbul final

Lucie Hradecka--in a match that lasted almost three hours and included 18 breaks--defeated Andrea Petkovic 6-7, 7-5, 7-5 today in Istanbul to advance to the final of the Istanbul Cup. Also advancing was Vera Dushevina, who defeated Timea Bacsinszy 6-2, 6-4.

The doubles title was won today by 3rd-seeded Hradecka and her partner, Renata Voracova. They defeated the 2nd seeds, Julia Goerges and Patty Schnyder, 2-6, 6-3, 12-10.

Medina Garrigues and Ruano Pascual upset in 1st round in Eastbourne

3rd seeds Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual were upset today at the AEGON International by Vera Dushvina and Galina Voskoboeva, 4-6, 7-6, 11-9.

The only other upset occurred in singles qualifying: Top seed Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez was defeated in straight sets in the final qualifying round by Jarmila Groth.

In singles play, Nadia Petrova and Zheng Jie are through to the second round; they defeated Ana Ivanovic and Carla Suarez Navarro, respectively. Sabine Lisicki, one of the tour's top servers, won only three games against Samantha Stosur, another of the tour's top servers. Since she sustained a shoulder injury and then--immediately after--experienced an abdominal illness, Lisicki has not done much of anything, and going out in the first round in Eastbourne does not help her Wimbledon chances.

Stosur and Stubbs upset in Rome

The team of Vera Dushevina and Galina Voskoboeva upset the 3rd seeds today in Rome. They defeated Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs 6-3, 6-1.

Meanwhile, the top seeds, Cara Black and Liezel Huber, got a walkover from the Bondarenko sisters because of Katyrena Bondarenko's illness. Also getting a walkover were and Ipek Senoglu and Yaroslava Shvedova. Agnieszka Radwanska and Agnes Szavay withdrew because of Radwanska's lower back sprain.

Dushevina upsets Vaidisova in Moscow

It's down to "'Fill in the blank' upsets Vaidisova" now, isn't it? This is just a terrible season for a player who has shown so much promise in the past. My guess is that Vaidisova will be glad when 2008 is over, and she can have a clean slate.

Vera Dushevina (on her birthday) def. Nicole Vaidisova, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3

Wozniacki wins first title

Caroline Wozniacki has won the the Nordea Nordic Light Open, defeating Vera Dushevina, 6-0, 6-2, in the final. This is the talented Wozniacki's first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title.

The doubles title was won by Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, who defeated Petra Cetkovska and Lucie Safarova, 7-5, 6-4.

Upsets in Stockholm

3rd seed Katarina Srebotnik was defeated in her Nordea Nordic Light Open semifinal today by unseeded Vera Dushevina, 6-1, 6-2. Also, 4th seed Caroline Wozniacki upset top seed and defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-4, 6-1.

The semifinal matches were delayed a day because of rain.

Szavay defeated in Stockholm

Agnes Szavay's shaky season just got shakier, as Vera Dushevina defeated her, 6-4, 7-6 at the Nordea Nordic Light Open. Szavay was the tournament's number 2 seed.

Schnyder and Vaidisova upset in Berlin

Number 9 seed Patty Schnyder lost her second round match to Vera Dushevina, 6-2, 6-3, today in Berlin. From the looks of the stats, Schnyder was having trouble with her serve, which can go from outstanding to dismal in the course of a few matches.

Also upset was Nicole Vaidisova, seeded number 12. Not surprisingly, Vaidisova was defeated by clay specialist Gisela Dulko, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.