Roland Garros: Saturday morning round-up

Now the second rounds and half the third have been completed at Roland Garros, it’s time to look back at who’s impressed so far and who has the potential to make the finals stages late next week.

Both Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova look strong – as they should do – but the latter’s 6-2 6-4 win over Eugenie Bouchard rose a few questions. While Sharapova won 80% of her first service points, on the second serve she was down at a 53% conversion rate. Effectively, she has no insurance on that second serve and that could cost her at important moments later in the tournament.

As for Serena, the world number one has powered through to round four having dropped just six games so far. There’s a reason she’s favourite to win this tournament and Serena’s only challenge before the final will be Sara Errani.

Williams against Caroline Garica
Photo: y.caradec, flickr

It’s pleasing to see the top five in the WTA have all made it through but Li Na’s exit on Wednesday was a surprise. The Chinese world number six crashed in three sets to Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who took her opportunity as Li faltered.

Caroline Wozniacki, too, fell in the second but this is of no astonishment. The Dane has struggled on clay ever since that quarters appearance in Charleston and she’s now exited the last five tournaments before the third round. Her only victory since 1 April was over an unconvincing one over Laura Robson here in Paris, and it was no surprise she lasted little time against Mattek-Sands.

If you’re looking to back an outsider in this race then Sara Errani is your girl. The Italian world number five has been in impervious form so far, dropping just nine games from six sets. Although she was pushed to a 6-0 6-4 win the second set by Sabine Lisicki, that extra game time may come in handy if and when she meets Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarters.

Errani looks good for a semis berth
Photo: Frédéric de Villamil, flickr

As for forgotten world number three Victoria Azarenka, few can see her surpassing Sharapova in the semis but the Belarusian should at least make it to the last four because of Li’s exit in her side of the draw.

The French Open looks likely to be hotly contested heading into next week and this weekend should provide a couple of upsets. The big one of Saturday may be Angelique Kerber’s demise, for the German has struggled to combat opponents so far and faces the in-form Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Head photo: y.caradec, flickr

Serena Williams eases to Charleston title

Serena Williams won her third title of the season on Sunday after surviving a first-set scare to beat Jelena Jankovic 3-6 6-0 6-2 at the Family Circle Cup final in Charleston.

The victory puts Serena in good stead heading into the clay season, where she faces a tough few weeks in Monte Carlo and Madrid before heading into the summer’s first grand slam at Roland Garros.

Not that Serena had it all her own way under the North Carolina sunshine; Jankovic served with supreme accuracy to boss Serena in the opening set but couldn’t continue her momentum into the second, collapsing to the American’s power to lose six straight games.

Jankovic on serve

The 2012 defending champion wowed the crowd with some impressive base-line rallies and was quick to pounce on Jankovic’s serves, especially in a match-turning second set.

Serena remained calm and collective into the third, broke twice and served out for the match in style with a strong serve-volley.

It was the third time the 31-year-old has won the Charleston title and her first clay title of the season. What was most impressive was not only her fitness – that has put her in good stead all week – but the fact she used the home crowd to her advantage with some fairly vocal performances after nailing crucial points.

The combination of power and momentum eventually did it for Serena – who beat her sister Venus 6-1 6-2 in the semis to reach her fourth final on the Charleston clay.

Match Summary:

Serena v Venus – Williams rivalry returns at Charleston

American tennis fans are in for a real treat on Saturday afternoon as Serena Williams takes on bigger sister Venus for the first time in four years.

The siblings will clash in the 2013 Family Circle Cup in Charleston this weekend with a place in Sunday’s final at stake.

Serena is clear favourite after winning the Miami Masters just last week and has looked comfortable on the Charleston clay. On her first clay event of the season, the world number one hasn’t dropped a set and has reeled away in the last set in each of her three matches.

That sort of fitness and confidence should prove the difference against Venus, who has been pushed to three sets twice already this week. A 6-4 6-4 victory over Madison Keys will give her confidence but without a win over her sister in their last four meetings the ball is very much in Serena’s court.

Only once have the sisters met on clay – at the 2002 French Open – and Serena took the match 7-5 6-3. Expect her to do the same again without the aid of a tiebreak.

Photo: Jet Magbanua, flickr

Azarenka pulls out of Miami Masters

Victoria Azarenka confirmed what we all suspected on Friday: that she won’t try and reclaim the Miami Masters crown after withdrawing because of an ankle injury.

The world number three has been struggling with the hurt for some time and pulled out of Indian Wells last week because of the problem.

Her withdrawal means Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova effectively have a free run to the final, where the WTA’s top two players should clash next weekend.

It is disappointing yet not too surprising Azarenka pulled out of the Sony Open Tennis. Her ankle has plagued her for a number of days now and there was simply not enough time between these two mandatory events to correct herself.

What her absence does mean, however, is that she protects her unbeaten record in 2013.

Azarenka is currently 17-0 this season, having won he Australian Open and Doha while withdrawing late on in Brisbane and Indian Wells.

Sharapova crowned champion of Indian Wells

Maria Sharapova put on a masterclass display of tennis to devastatingly beat Caroline Wozniacki 6-2 6-2 at the BNP Paribas Open final in Indian Wells.

The Russian, who leaps up to second in the world thanks to her triumph in California, broke in the first game and never looked back as she outclassed and outsmarted an opponent making her first WTA tour final since October.

Sharapova was simply too good for her Danish counterpart, nailing 33 winners to two and slamming four aces – the last of which earned her the BNP Paribas Open crown for a second time in her career.

Sadly for Wozniacki there was nothing she could do against such a formidable opponent who, although Sharapova made her fair share of unforced errors, nevertheless dictated rallies throughout.

Wozniacki qualified for the final after defeating Angelique Kerber over three sets in the semis, having earned a bye into the last four thanks to first-seed Victoria Azarenka’s withdrawal through injury.

Wozniacki facing the Sharapova serve

Sharapova, meanwhile, careered through 6-4 6-3 against Maria Kirilenko and hadn’t dropped a set throughout the tournament. That record was reminiscent of her 2013 form where, over the past two events (Melbourne and Doha) she had won every set played until tournament elimination.

Sharapova meant business from the off, breaking her opponent in the first game before acing to go 2-0 up. The set then went with serve until Sharapova again broke to make it 5-2 and just moments later the Russian powered down a forehand to take the eighth and decisive game by love.

First set stats

Into the second and Sharapova remained strong, claiming an immediate break before making it five games in a row with a smooth service of her own. Wozniacki proved her mettle in the fourth game, saving her serve despite a break opportunity for Sharapova, but the Dane could do nothing against the Sharapova serve as her rival pushed on to 4-2.

Wozniacki had her chances to claw a game back on her serve in the seventh but Sharapova’s determination was too much for the 22-year-old, who saved a break and lost two advantages of her own before Sharapova’s might forced through a winner for 5-2.

Sharapova’s route to the final

Into the last game and the 2012 Roland Garros champion proved her class, acing the final point to claim an historic Indian Wells title that saw her win every set over the two-week tournament.

Her winning ace