Sharapova, Ivanovic Win; Williams Sisters Ousted

The second and third rounds were blurred together on Friday, as some wrapped up their darkness-postponed second matches while most played their third matches. Apart from two monumental surprises the day went predominantly to form on the terre battue of Roland Garros.
 
World No.1 Maria Sharapova was one of the first to claim victory, finishing her second round victory over Bethanie Mattek, 62 36 62, after it was stopped a day before with Mattek leading 3-2 in the second set due to poor light. Sharapova's power game took a few games to find its groove on Friday, as Mattek claimed the second set by winning three of the first four games upon resumption. But it was a short lived streak as Sharapova blew through the third set for the match.
 
"The last time we played, I kind of got on a roll and played really well," said Sharapova, who beat Mattek 60 60 at Charleston in April. "Yesterday, the points were a lot longer than in that previous meeting. I felt like I had to hit a few more to win the point, and I did a good job of that. Then today I woke up and I felt like I was playing a different match in another tournament, in a way. It's been kind of strange, but the good thing is I still have a match ahead of me."
 
"I called one of my friends crying about that," said Mattek about the defeat in Charleston. "You get waxed, and you just have to walk off the court. After that, I actually went on a pretty good winning streak. So maybe it helped me, I guess. But this time I was ready to play against her. I was not going to let it happen again. I just went out there and did the best I could. She came out with a win."
 
While Sharapova has won the other three Grand Slams before, she has never taken this title, her best result being a semifinal finish last year. But she has had some solid results on clay leading up to this year's event, including her first ever Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title on the surface at Amelia Island, a Tier II.
 
"I'm not a clay court specialist who will stand 10 feet behind the baseline and retrieve balls back; I'm going to stick to my guns and do what I do best. But I can play patiently if I want to win matches, especially against players who get 10 balls back every point, physically challenging players. I also realize their game is a lot more physical than mine - if I feel tired then they're feeling 20 times more tired, because they're the ones doing all the running."
 
Mattek maintained that regardless of the surface Sharapova is always one of the best there is, if not the best.
 
"I think she's still an intimidating player on clay. Obviously, the court slows down some of her pace and serves, so you have more of a chance to get them back. But she's still Maria Sharapova, and it's always tough to play against her."
 
The other remaining second round matches were also played, with No.11 seed Vera Zvonareva dismissing Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro, 62 64, and No.25 seed Nadia Petrova completing a 63 63 win over Alisa Kleybanova, having led 63 42 before the match was stopped due to darkness on Thursday evening.
 
Third round matches begin: Ivanovic wins, Williams sisters bow out

Ana Ivanovic, ranked and seeded No.2 at Roland Garros, was also an early winner, clobbering No.30 seed Caroline Wozniacki in a third round match, 64 61.
 
"I played well, but I thought the match against Safarova was even better," said Ivanovic when asked if the second set was the best set she had played in months. "After the first set I was just trying to find my rhythm and be more aggressive. Today in the second set I was feeling better and better, and obviously that's a good feeling you want to have. As the tournament progresses, you've got tougher and tougher opponents, so you have to raise your level."
 
Wozniacki has enjoyed a meteoric rise up the rankings so far this year, and was looking for her third career Top 10 win, having had her first two in the spring.
 
"It was really close in the first set at 4-all and I had my chances," Wozniacki said. "I think the second set was also close, but I just didn't take my chances. I had some short balls in points I should've finished. When I was attacking she came out better, too. I think that was the difference today."
 
When asked about each other's potential, Ivanovic and Wozniacki were all praise.
 
"I think she's talented and can get far in the rankings," Ivanovic said. "She's very young but already has a lot of experience in the Grand Slams. In Australia we played fourth round and here third round. She gave tough matches both times."
 
"I think so," added Wozniacki when asked if Ivanovic was one of the few players who could win the title. "She has a good forehand and is attacking lots with it. On the important points she hit some great serves that were difficult for me to catch so I think those are her strengths. But in general she's a great player."
 
Serena Williams became the third Top 10 player to fall earlier in the day after the exits of Anna Chakvetadze and Marion Bartoli in the days before, falling to No.27 seed Katarina Srebotnik, 64 64. Ivanovic, who was slotted to meet Williams in the quarterfinals, was surprised at the result.
 
"I didn't see any of the match because we played at the same time, but that's a tough, tough loss for her," the Serb commented. "I'm sure she's disappointed. I thought coming into this tournament she was in very good shape. It's hard but I believe Srebotnik played a good match."
 

The last two third round matches of the day were both played under fading light. No.3 seed Jelena Jankovic was up 75 42 on No.28 seed Dominika Cibulkova when it was suspended and pushed to Saturday; time ran out for No.8 seed Venus Williams right before darkness fully fell, losing to No.26 seed Flavia Pennetta in a tense two-setter, 75 63. Williams is the fourth Top 10 player to fall in Paris.
 
"I was very focused; I got on court thinking I could win," beamed Pennetta, who has now beaten Williams in their last two meetings. "I played a great match and I'm very happy about it. This is my first time in a big stadium like this. If I played fast like she does I wouldn't get anywhere, so I tried mixing it up more, not hitting the same thing twice. It was one of the best matches of my life."
 
"She played well, and I think that was the main problem," Williams said. "She played great and hit a lot of great shots, a lot of lines. I wish her the best of luck in the tournament. It just wasn't a good day for our family today, but we always learn and get more determined after our losses."
 
This is just the second time that the Williamses have lost on the same day at a major, after they both lost in the quarterfinals here in 2004. This is also the third time in the Open Era that no American woman will be in the second week of a major (in the first two instances at the Australian Open in 1970 and 1973, no American women competed in the main draw).
 
The other third round winners were No.10 seed Patty Schnyder, No.14 seed Agnieszka Radwanska, Petra Cetkovska and qualifier Carla Suárez Navarro. Radwanska had an energized French crowd to overcome during a 64 64 victory against Alizé Cornet, who was seeded No.19 here.

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