Sharapova Beaten by Qualifier in Third Round at Rogers Cup

August 12, 2011 | By David Drucker
Sharapova_02

You know when you think sometimes the script is just written in sports and the players just follow along? That’s the feeling I have now after watching for a third straight day a top male and female upset in their respective tournaments.

On the men’s side it was Roger Federer, and on the women’s side, it was Maria Sharapova of Russia.

Tuesday’s top named man and woman tandem to lose was Andy Murray and Kim Clijsters, Wednesday’s was Rafael Nadal and Caroline Wozniacki, and now yesterday, Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova.

I admit to you all that I know my tennis, men and women, but before Toronto’s Rogers Cup, I had never heard of Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan. Voskoboeva is a qualifier who is having the tournament of her life in Toronto, has beaten one of the top Italian women players in Flavia Pennetta, the top French woman in the world Marion Bartoli, and now the top Russian in the world, the number five ranked Sharapova.

The Kazakhstani qualifier upended Sharapova in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5, and will now do battle with number four seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus who seems to be firing on all cylinders this tournament. American Serena Williams continued to fly under the radar with another win, beating Jie Zheng of China in three sets, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Serena should have faced seeded players such as Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, Kim Clijsters of Belgium and Francesca Schiavone of Italy in her part of the draw. The only problem is she can’t because all those seeds are now out of Toronto, with Francesca Schiavone being the last seed in Serena’s quarter of the draw to fall. Schiavone lost to Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic, 6-3, 6-3. Safarova will now go toe to toe with Serena in the quarterfinals.

Other notable matches yesterday included Roberta Vinci of Italy beating Ana Ivanovic of Serbia. Vinci, if you remember, had just defeated top seed Caroline Wozniacki. The Italian will be met in the quarterfinals by Australian Sam Stosur who knocked of French Open champion Na Li of China. Andrea Petkovic of Germany stomped all over Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, 6-1, 6-2 where she will now face Agniezska Radwanska of Poland, who upset the number three seed Vera Zvonareva of Russia in straight sets.

2011 Rogers Cup Match Results

►[4] Victoria Azarenka (BLR) def. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP) 6-1, 6-2

►Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) def. [5] Maria Sharapova (RUS) 6-3, 7-5

►[7] Petra Kvitova (CZE) def. Anabel Medina Garrigues 7-6(3), 6-3

►Lucie Safarova (CZE) def. [8] Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 6-3, 6-3

►[10] Sam Stosur (AUS) def. [6] Na Li (CHN) 6-2, 6-4

►[11] Andrea Petkovic (GER) def. [7] Petra Kvitova (CZE) 6-1, 6-2

►[13] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) def. [3] Vera Zvonareva 6-4, 7-6(4)

►Serena Williams (USA) def. Jie Zheng (CHN) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3

►Roberta Vinci (ITA) def. Ana Ivanovic (SER) 7-6(3), 6-2

 


David Drucker
Centercourt
USTA NTC

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