Stanford WTA event:
Sharapova advances
Former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova reached the quarter-finals while
Shahar Peer became the first seeded player to fall at the WTA Bank of
the West Classic Thursday.
Fifth seeded Sharapova defeated Belarus' Olga Govortsova 6-3, 6-3 and
the eighth-seeded Victoria Azarenka beat Melanie Oudin, of the US, 6-3,
6-1 in second round action while Maria Kirilenko sent sixth-seeded Peer
crashing out of the hardcourt tournament 6-4, 6-3.
"It was a sloppy first game but the rest of it was fine," Sharapova
said. "I took my chances when I could." The 16th-ranked Peer lost for
the fourth time in her last six matches after opening the year with an
18-5 record.
"This time I decided to be a lot more aggressive," Kirilenko said.
"This year has been so much better and given me a lot of confidence."
The 27th-ranked Kirilenko is assured of her best finish at Stanford
in three trips. She meets third seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the
quarters. "I played not too badly," Kirilenko said. "I can play better."
She's also had her career best results at the Australian Open, when
she reached the quarter-finals, the French Open, when she made the
fourth round, and at Wimbledon, when she was eliminated in the third
round. Azarenka reached her sixth quarter-final of the year by winning
her eighth in her last 10 matches. She busted into the top 10 last year.
"I think I played very well," Azarenka said. "It was a little tough
at the beginning with a couple of service breaks but I felt strong the
whole match. For me it's important to play every point the same, no
matter what the score is. Whether I am up or down 40-love, that is
always a key for me." She next plays defending champion Marion Bartoli
who defeated former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic 6-3, 6-4 in the night match
Thursday. STANFORD, California, AFP |