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Tennis: Nadal through, Azarenka out of Madrid

Agence France-PresseMay 13, 2013 11:06
Rafael Nadal made a comfortable start to his quest for a third Madrid Masters title on Wednesday but Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka slumped to a shock exit. Nadal eased past Frenchman Benoit Paire 6-3, 6-4 and will next face either compatriot Nicolas Almagro or Mikhail Youzhny of Russia for a place in the quarter-finals. One break in each set was enough for Nadal as he overcame some impressive variety and touch shown by Paire early on to break when the world number 37 was serving at 2-3 down in the opening set, before eventually sealing it 6-3.

Tennis: Sharapova cruises through as Azarenka withdraws

March 22, 2013 23:45
On a day when rain left plenty of players waiting around Maria Sharapova didn't waste any time in a 6-2, 6-0 second-round victory over Canadian Eugenie Bouchard in the Miami ATP Masters and WTA tournament. Sharapova, seeded third even though her triumph at Indian Wells last weekend saw her jump from third to second in the world rankings, needed less than an hour to subdue the 19-year-old wild card. Even a brief power outage that halted the match as the floodlights went out barely slowed her.

Tennis: Injured Azarenka, Stosur cause Indian Wells wipeout

March 14, 2013 18:15
The women's quarter-finals at Indian Wells ended with a whimper on Thursday as defending champion Victoria Azarenka and seventh seed Sam Stosur both pulled out with injuries. Azarenka's bid to become the first woman since Martina Navratilova in 1990-91 to retain her title in the California desert crashed to a halt as the world No. 2 from Belarus withdrew before her clash with Caroline Wozniacki with tendinitis and inflammation in her right foot and ankle.

Tennis: Defending champ Azarenka pulls out of Indian Wells

March 14, 2013 17:45
Victoria Azarenka's bid to become the first woman in more than 20 years to successfully defend her Indian Wells title crashed to a halt Thursday as she pulled out with an injury. The world No. 2 from Belarus pulled out shortly before her scheduled quarter-final clash with eighth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, granting the Dane a semi-final berth on a walkover. In an odd twist, Wozniacki's semi-final opponent also advanced on a walkover on Thursday as fourth seed Angelique Kerber went through when Samantha Stosur pulled out with a calf injury.

Tennis: Azarenka cruises into Indian Wells quarter-finals

March 12, 2013 22:45
Top seed and defending champion Victoria Azarenka shrugged off a sore ankle to reach the Indian Wells quarter-finals on Tuesday with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Urszula Radwanska. Azarenka remained unbeaten in a 2013 season that has included an Australian Open triumph and a WTA title at Doha. She next faces either former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark or Russian Nadia Petrova. But the win over Radwanska, ranked 37th in the world, was tougher than the scoreline might suggest.

Tennis: Azarenka rallies to reach Indian Wells fourth round

March 12, 2013 02:31
Victoria Azarenka woke up just in time on Monday, rallying for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory over Belgian Kirsten Flipkens that kept her Indian Wells WTA title defence on track. Azarenka remained unbeaten in 2013, having successfully defended her Australian Open title and her WTA Doha crown. The 23-year-old from Belarus, currently ranked second in the world behind American Serena Williams, is vying to become the first woman to win back-to-back titles at Indian Wells since Martina Navratilova in 1990 and 1991.

Tennis: Top seed Azarenka advances at Indian Wells

March 10, 2013 00:30
Defending champion Victoria Azarenka shook off a slow start to beat Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 6-1 Saturday and reach the third round of the Indian Wells ATP Masters and WTA tournament. It was a tough tournament opener for Azarenka against a player who won the title here in 2002 and 2007. But after falling behind 4-1 in the first set, she roared back to preserve her unbeaten record in 2013 and move a step closer to adding a third title to the Australian Open and Doha crowns she has claimed this year.

Tennis-Azarenka driven by new memories, not past glories

March 6, 2013 22:00
By Mark Lamport-Stokes INDIAN WELLS, California, March 6 (Reuters) - For a second successive year, Victoria Azarenka brings red-hot form to Indian Wells for the BNP Paribas Open but the confident Belarusian has no desire to reflect on past glories. Rather than look for motivation in a perfect 14-0 record in 2013 as she prepares to defend her title at a venue where she feels extremely comfortable, Azarenka prefers to focus on the present in her bid to create even better memories.

Tennis: Serena, Azarenka penalised for late Dubai pullouts

February 21, 2013 15:17
Serena Williams, the world number one, and Victoria Azarenka, the only unbeaten leading player on the women's tour this year, have been penalised for their late withdrawals from the Dubai Open. Williams, who had a bad back and withdrew on Wednesday, has had $50,000 forfeited from the WTA's bonus pool, and zero points imposed for one tournament on her world ranking calculation. Azarenka, who had a bruised heel and withdrew on Monday, had $100,000 forfeited from the WTA's bonus pool and zero points imposed for one tournament on her rankings calculation.

Tennis: Azarenka injury ensures Williams remains number one

February 19, 2013 09:16
Top-seeded Victoria Azarenka suffered a blow for the second successive year at the Dubai Open when she pulled with a heel injury, ensuring that Serena Williams will hold on to the world number one ranking this week. Azarenka, the only unbeaten leading player on the tour this year, beat Williams in three sets in the final of the Qatar Open on Sunday, having played through part of that tournament with painkillers.
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