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SPORTS: French Open 2012: Sharapova through, Radwanszka and Ivanovic out (BBC)

Friday, June 1, 2012

French Open 2012: Sharapova through, Radwanszka and Ivanovic out (BBC)



FRENCH OPEN

  • Venue: Roland Garros, Paris
  •  
  • Date: 27 May - 10 June
Coverage: Live text commentaries on BBC Sport website from 10:00 BST; updates & commentary on BBC Radio 5 live, 5 live sports extra and online
Maria Sharapova continued her bid to complete the career Grand Slam with a simple French Open second-round win over Japan's Ayumi Morita.
The Russian second seed booked her place in the last 16 with a 6-1 6-1 victory in exactly one hour.
Sharapova will play Chinese Peng Shuai in the third round.
Third seed Agnieszka Radwanska and former champion Ana Ivanovic were beaten by Svetlana Kuznetsova and Sara Errani respectively in round three.
Sharapova's second-round match was held over from Thursday afterPaul-Henri Mathieu took almost six hours to beat John Isner in the men's draw.
But she wasted little time in breezing past the world number 84 to keep up her challenge for the only major title she is yet to win.
"Yesterday was one of those days where you just want to get on the court and then, you're hanging around all day, sitting, waiting around, eating, sleeping. It's like a good way to put someone into retirement," said the Russian.
"It was nice to get out there today and finish it."
Radwanska , conqueror of Venus Williams in round two, was beaten in straight sets, 6-1 6-2 by 2009 champion and 26th seed Kuvnetsova.
The defeat means that the Pole will remain the only player in the world's top 10 never to have reached a Grand Slam semi-final.
"I have not had this feeling for quite a time," said Kuznetsova. "I have started to do things the right way off the court in practice. I am confident I am getting back to my game that brought me the victories I had."
Number 21 seed Ivanovic , Roland Garros winner in 2008, went down 1-6 7-5 6-3 to Errani.
The former world number one, coached by Briton Nigel Sears, committed 37 of her 40 unforced errors in the final two sets.
"In the third set I was creating a lot of opportunities and missing a lot of easy, easy finishing balls," said Ivanovic. "That's something that I'm not really happy about."
Italian 13th seed Errani, in what will be her first appearance in the French Open fourth round, meets Kuznetsova for a place in the last eight.
Sixth seed Samantha Stosur went through with few problems, defeating Nadia Petrova of Russia 6-3 6-3.
The Australian will play 19-year-old American Sloane Stephens for a place in the quarter-finals.
Stephens, who beat Mathilde Johansson, the last Frenchwoman in the draw, 6-3 6-2 is the last American player in the women's draw.
It is the first time she has reached the last 16 of a Grand Slam tournament in four appearances.

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