TENNIS – Maria Sharapova dropped just three games in her easy 6-1 6-2 over Colombian Mariana Duque Marino. Petra Kvitova rallied from losing the second set to battle past Coco Vandeweghe 6-4 2-6 6-3 Diego Sampaolo
Sharapova broke serve four times to win the match in one hour and 13 minutes to set up the next match against Caroline Garcia who overcame last week’s Prague winner Karolina Pliskova with 6-2 4-6 6-1.
Garcia broke serve in the second game to race out to 3-0 as Pliskova hit a double fault. Both players held their serve until 5-2 when Garcia broke serve again.
Pliskova got the break with her backhand winner. Pliskova did not make any errors on her service games and won the 10th game with a series of aces for 6-4. Garcia broke serve on her fifth break point chance in the second game and pulled away to 5-1 after wasting two chances for 4-0. The French player closed out with her 12th ace for 6-1.
Petra Kvitova recovered from a second-set loss to battle past Coco Vandeweghe with 6-4 2-6 6-3 in the Manolo Santana Court in the Madrid Caja Magica. Kvitova was not in her best shape after taking two months of rest because of exhaustion.
After dropping the first set, Vandeweghe fought back reeling off five games in a row to force the match to the third set. Kvitova trailed 0-30 after a couple of unforced errors in the first game of the third set but she managed to hold her serve. Kvitova turned around the match and broke serve in the 8th game as Vandeweghe made a series of mistakes.
Anastasya Pavlyuchenkova fought back from a set down to battle past Sara Errani 3-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-4. Errani missed three match points in the second set before losing 6-4 in the third set.after two hours and 39 minutes. Errani started very well winning five of the first set. Pavlyuchenkova won the next three games but Errani wrapped up the set winning the ninth game for 6-3. At 4-4 in the second set Pavlyuchenkova hit her forehand into the net and made a double fault enabling Errani to serve for the match. Errani wasted her first match point at 5-4. Pavlyuchenkova dropped her serve at 5-5 but she converted her break point at 5-6 with her backhand volley forcing the set to the tie-break. Errani wasted two match points in the tie-break. Pavlyuchenkova hit a series of winners to win the second set forcing the match to the tie-break. The third set went on serve until 4-4 when Errani was serving. Pavlyuchenkova earned a break point with a forehand winner before bringing up her chance to serve for the match with her forehand winner. She converted it to clinch the win in the third set with 6-4.
Ana Ivanovic beat Elina Svitolina for the sixth time in six matches with 6-3 6-4. Ivanovic will set up a third round match against Carla Suarez Navarro who overcame Julia Georges 6-3 7-5. The German recovered from 1-4 down in the second set but Suarez Navarro closed out to 7-5.
Viktoria Azarenka cruised past Croatian Ajla Tomljanovic with a double 6-3 setting up a third round match against Serena Williams
Barbora Strykova overcame Varvara Lepchenko with 6-4 6-2.
