Nadal Breezes, Sharapova Scraps; All-Star Tues. at Sony Open Miami
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Will Maria Sharapova ever win a Sony Open title in Miami?
The Russian, 0-5 in career finals at the event, scrapped to stay alive for another chance when she reached the quarterfinals with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over Belgian Kristen Flipkens on Monday.
“I usually like playing first match on, but I didn’t start off the way I wanted to,” said Sharapova, the No. 4 seed after winning her second three-set match in a row in morning play. “Nothing was working. She’s a different type of opponent. Not too many girls hit a slice backhand 90 percent of the time in the rallies. I played her already this year, so I knew what to expect from her game, it should not have been that much of a surprise.”
Last year Sharapova lost her third Miami final in a row to Serena Williams. On Monday the younger Williams sister had her game face on, and unlike Sharapova she breezed into the quarters after a 6-3, 6-1 win over fellow American and qualifier Coco Vandeweghe.
Sharapova will next meet No. 8 seed Petra Kvitova, who came from a set down on Monday to roll No. 12 Ana Ivanovic 3-6, 6-0, 6-0.
Serena Williams will next face No. 5 Angie Kerber, who defeated No. 23 Ekaterina Makarova 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.
Also in the winner’s circle Monday were No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska who outlasted the Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-2; No. 2 Na Li who strolled past No. 15 Carla Suarez Navarro 6-0, 6-2; No. 11 Caroline Wozniacki who walloped American Varvara Lepchenko 6-0, 6-1; and in the late match No. 10 Dominika Cibulkova stopped a comeback attempt by No. 29 Venus Williams 6-1, 5-7, 6-3.
On the men’s side Rafael Nadal showed why he currently resides on the top perch in men’s tennis, decimating Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin 6-1, 6-0.
“I played a very complete match,” he said. “No mistakes, serving with good per centage, and playing a lot of winners. My movements were better than what I did last events.”
Like Sharapova, Nadal’s career has seen a Miami draught, going 0-3 in career finals at the Sony Open. He will next meet No. 14 seed Fabio Fognini, who defeated Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
“He’s able to hit winners from every part of the court,” Nadal said of Fognini, who he holds a 3-0 career advantage over. “He’s an opponent sometimes that can be unpredictable, and it’s difficult to play against these kind of players, especially when they are playing well, and Fognini is playing well.”
No. 3 seed and Aussie Open winner Stan Wawrinka was also a winner after a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin, setting up a meeting with No. 22 Alexandr Dolgopolov, the No. 22 seed, who beat lucky loser Dusan Lajovic 3-6, 6-0, 7-6(5).
“[It’s] going to be a tough match,” Wawrinka said. “He’s a tricky player. He can serve really well. He’s moving well. He can play really fast.”
No. 12 seed Milos Raonic beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-1, 6-2 in 57 minutes to set up a meeting with Benjamin Becker, who defeated Aljaz Bedene 6-3, 7-5. The last remaining American, No. 10 seed John Isner, was a 7-5, 6-3 winner over No. 18 seed Nicolas Almagro. He will next meet No. 7 seed Tomas Berdych, who dispatched of Joao Sousa 6-2, 6-4.
Tuesday Schedule:
[16] Tommy Robredo (ESP) vs. [2] Novak Djokovic (SRB)
[4] Maria Sharapova (RUS) vs. [8] Petra Kvitova (CZE)
[6] Andy Murray (GBR) vs. [11] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)
[5] Roger Federer (SUI) vs. [9] Richard Gasquet (FRA)
[1] Serena Williams (USA) vs. [5] Angelique Kerber (GER)
[1] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. [14] Fabio Fognini (ITA)
[20] Kei Nishikori vs. [4] David Ferrer (ESP)
[3] Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) vs. [22] Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR)
[12] Milos Raonic (CAN) vs. [LL] Benjamin Becker (GER)
John Isner (USA) vs. [7] Tomas Berdych (CZE)
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