Thursday, May 26, 2011

2011 FRENCH OPEN: Clijsters Upset! Sharapova Escapes

Kim Clijsters lost her second round match at Roland Garros to Arantxa Rus
World #2 Kim Clijsters held two match points up a set and 5-2 but somehow managed to lose her second round match to lefty Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands 3-6 7-5 6-1 to end her 15-match winning streak at the majors. Clijsters had won the 2010 US Open and the 2011 Australian Open and was a favorite to win in Paris.

Maria Sharapova was down a set and 4-1 (two(!) breaks) against the youngest player in the draw, 17-year-old Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia when suddenly the youngster got tight and Sharapova kept the ball in the court and then steamrolled the next 11games to close out the match 3-6 6-4 6-0.

On the men's side Rafael Nadal saved 8 set points against handsome countryman Pablo Andujar to come back from 1-5 down in the 3rd set to close out the match 7-5 6-3 7-6(4). Also in that half of the draw Andy Murray, Robin Soderling and Fernando Verdasco all won their second round matches.  Nadal got a break when Nikolay Davydenko lost to Croatian qualifier  Antonio Veic 6-1 in the fifth. Davydenko is one of the few players on the tour to hold a career head-to-head advantage on the World #1 (6-4 overall but 0-3 on clay). It's likely that Nadal will not be challenged until he plays the winner of Verdasco/Ljubicic in the 3rd round and then a potential Soderling quarterfinal.

1 comment:

carter said...

Murray still has a nearly free ride to the semis, with Dolgopolov and Troicki the only seeds remaining in his quarter, and they next play each other!

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