Roland Garros: Wozniacki, Stosur Sent Packing

Wozniacki packs as Hantuchova moves on

World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki has missed another chance to clinch her first grand slam of career. The Dane has been ousted by Daniela Hantuchova 6-1, 6-3 in the third term of the French Open to switch her focus on Wimbledon.

A couple of early breaks allowed the Slovakian, who was playing the Dane for the fourth time, to clinch the first set in les than half an hour. The second set found the same world number 19 powering through to a three-game lead to impress the 16-title player with an easy victory. Hantuchova have thus picked her first win over the 20-year-old, the head to head series between the two going 3-1. The Slovakian will next play Svetlana Kuznetsova who eased past Rebecca Marino 6-0, 6-4.

The Russian needed just… 17 minutes to clinch the opener within which she won 24 points and three breaks. As for the second set, it found the same Kuznetsova winning an early break and going 2-1 adrift. Marino then managed to stun the favorite with a 4-3 break, only to be leveled back immediately. She thus allowed Kuznetsova to break her and go 5-4 ahead of the Canadian. Finally, the Russian held her serve to make the progress.

On the same half of the table, Gisela Dulko stunned Samantha Stosur in three sets, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 to near her best performance at the French Open. The two girls exchanged six breaks in the opener. Dulko went 4-0 adrift at one point, while the Aussie managed to cut the deficit to two games right afterwards. The Argentine grabbed a couple of more late breaks to power through to a 5-4 lead. She then broke Stosur for the last time to clinch a hard-fought first set win.

Concerning the second set, it found the Aussie setting up her own pace and leaving her opponent five games behind. She first broke the Argentine in the second game and never let go her own serve. Dulko could only hold her once but it was too late as Stosur leveled immediately. Finally, the decider brought a 2-1 lead for Stosur who broke Dulko in the third game. But the unexpected was yet to come. Not only did she level the score, but the Argentine took a 4-2 lead. Dulko then held her both last services to clinch the victory 6-3.

Said the Argentine: “Sam is a very powerful player, so if I wasn’t that aggressive, it was going to be really difficult for me to manage the points. It was key for me to start well and win the first set, and after I had a few ups and downs, I played good tennis at the end of the match.”

Dulko will next face Marion Bartoli who ousted the 2011 Stuttgart champion Julia Gorges 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. Despite a better start, Julia failed to continue her early pace, losing the next two sets quite easy. Martoli progresses and sets her fifth meeting with Dulko whom she has defeated four times previously. On the same first half of the table, Jelena Jankovic is to face Franesca Schiavone in the fourth round.

The Serb beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands in two sets, 6-2, 6-2, while her next opponent has flown into the next term after Shuai Peng retired at 6-3, 1-2 down due to medical problems. The two are expected to play for the fifth time against each other. Jankovic took an early break against the American to take a 2-1 lead. Sands then conceded another service in the seventh game to allow the Serb go 5-2 adrift and serve for the set.

The second set found the same Jelena powering through and winning a couple of more breaks. Finally, she built a 5-2 lead to serve for and win the match. Tenth WTA Jankovic leads the head to head series with the world number 5 3-1, having last defeated her at the 2009 Marbella event. Italian’s first win dates from the 2004 Sydney tournament.

Vera Zvonareva beat Anastasia Rodionova in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3 after exchanging 11 breaks with the Aussie. He Russian favorite had a better start, going 2-0 adrift after just a few minutes. Rodionova broke back immediately but she wasn’t able to take the lead, staying one game behind throughout the entire opener. A couple of late breaks helped Vera win the tight opener by four games.

Regarding the second set, it found the two exchanging five more breaks. Zvonareva provided the same strong start, going 2-0, only to be denied on the next service. A 3-4 deficit was the best Aussie could get from the Russian who last broke her in the eighth game to serve for the match. Zvonareva will next play the 2011 Monterrey champion Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova who overcame Nuria Llagostera in three sets, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the third term.

Nuria first broke the Russian in the seventh game of the first set to build a 5-3 lead and serve for a 1-0 lead. Unfortunately for the Spaniard, who was nearing one of her biggest grand slam successes, she failed to survive Pavlyuchenkova’s avalanche in the next two sets, losing pace by each game. despite a very strong start, which brought her a 2-0 lead in the second set, the Spaniard found herself leveled in the sixth.

Pavlyuchenkova won the second one after holding her serve consistently and breaking her opponent during a late rally. The Russian went 3-0 adrift in the decider and faced no more pressure from the losing pace Nuria. She then went 5-3 ahead of her opponent to end the meeting in almost two hours. As for the second half of the table, Kim Clijsters suffered an early exit after losing to unseeded Arantxa Rus of Holland who passed the former world champion and second favorite in three sets, 3-6, 7-5, 6-1.

The Dutch will next face Maria Kirilenko who made an easy progress after ousting Chanelle Scheepers in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4. Andrea Petkovic, winner in Strasbourg, is to play Jarmila Gajdovora in the third round. The German eliminated Lucie Hradecka 7-6, 6-2, while her next opponent upset Anabel Medina 7-6, 6-4.

Former world champion Maria Sharapova had some hard times against Caroline Garcia whom she overcame in three sets 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 on Thursday. The Russian is to meet Taipei Yung-Jan Chan who follows a two-set win over Jill Craybas of United States whom she ousted 6-1, 6-4. Yanina Wickmayer and Agnieszka Radwanksa are also expected to fight for a fourth round berth. The Belgian defeated Ayumi Morita of Japan 6-4, 7-5, while the Polish eased past Sania Mirza of India 6-2, 6-4.

The Aussie grand slam finalist Li Na sent Silvia Soler packing after a 6-4, 7-5 win and will next play Romania’s Sorana Cirstea who beat compatriot Alexandra Dulgheru 6-2, 7-5 in the second term. Petra Kvitova has reached the third term after beating Jie Zheng in straight easy sets 6-4, 6-1. The 2011 Brisbane and Paris champion will next meet American Vania King who edged Elena Baltacha in three sets after surviving an early scare, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

The Miami Masters and Marbella winner Victoria Azarenka is to fight Roberta Vinci for a place into the fourth term. The Belarusian crashed Pauline Parmentier of France 6-0, 6-1, while her next opponent ousted Iryna Bremond 6-3, 6-4. Finally, Kaia Kanepi and Ekaterina Makarova have also made the progress into the third round, having both grabbed two straight-set victories.

Kanepi knocked Heather Watson 6-1, 6-3, while the Russian eliminated Ana Ivanovic’s killer Johanna Larsson 6-3, 7-6. The two will meet for the third time, he head to head series going 1-1. Makarova beat the world number 16 at the 2008 Eastbourne event, while Estonian’s only victory dates from the 2005 Rimini clay tournament.

Roland Garros Prize Money:

Winner – 1,200,000 euro

Finalist – 600,000 euro

Semi finalist – 300,000 euro

Quarter finalist – 150,000 euro

R16 – 75,000 euro

R32 – 42,000 euro

R64 – 25,000 euro

R128 – 15,000 euro11