Rome Masters: Sharapova, Kvitova advance in windy Rome

Conditions make it difficult for the pair in their 2nd-round matches.


Afp May 15, 2012

ROME: Past and present Wimbledon winners Maria Sharapova and Czech Petra Kvitova made straight-set moves into the third round of the Rome Masters yesterday.

Defending Rome champion Sharapova, who won her Wimbledon title aged 17 in 2004, needed nearly two and a quarter hours to get past 36th-ranked American Christina McHale 7-5, 7-5. Kvitova, the fourth-seed who claimed the grass honours last summer, accounted for Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 6-4 in sunny, breezy conditions with spring pollen swirling through the air at the Foro Italico.

The shy Kvitova admitted that she is still trying to find her feet on clay despite making a Stuttgart semi-final last month against Sharapova, the tournament champion.

“I have to say that I was nervous before the match because I saw how she was preparing and I lost my last match against her,” the Czech said of Pavlyuchenkova. “I didn’t feel so comfortable, so I’m happy I won, I know where there is space to improve before the next round. I’m still learning on this surface. You cannot be two metres behind the baseline. I must move forward and play my aggressive game.”

In the first round, two seeds went out as Sorona Cirstea of Romania upset former number one, 2007-2008 winner and 15th seed Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4). Italy’s Flavia Pennetta, whose 2006 quarter-final was her best showing at home, beat Russian 16th-seed Maria Kirilenko 6-1, 7-6 (7/2).

In men’s first round matches, French 11th-seed Richard Gasquet started with a win over injury comeback player Jurgen Melzer, sending the Austrian home 6-1, 7-6 (8/6). Marcel Granollers won an all-Spanish battle as he put out 15th-seed Feliciano Lopez 6-4, 6-4. American Sam Querrey beat Finn Jarkko Nieminen 7-6 (7/4), 5-7, 6-4.

Spanish scrambler David Ferrer, the sixth seed and Madrid quarter-final victim of Roger Federer, beat Fernando Verdasco, last week’s third-round conqueror of Rafael Nadal, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3).

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16th, 2012.

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