Sorana Cirstea

World number one Novak Djokovic demonstrated how to smash a racquet and how to cope with adversity as he reached the quarter-finals of the Rome Masters on Thursday.

In a blustery wind, Djokovic mangled his racquet after losing the first set to Juan Monaco of Argentina but recovered from a break down in the second set to clinch a 4-6 6-2 6-3 win.

From 1-2 in the second set it was as if somebody had flicked a switch as a dominant Djokovic won 20 of the next 24 points to level the match.

China's Li Na moved on to the fourth round of the Rome Masters on Wednesday as third seed Agnieszka Radwanska lost to only her third different opponent of the season.

Eighth seed Li beat Iveta Benesova with ease, 6-1, 7-5, but Czech Petra Cetkovska caught Poland's Radwanska with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 loss.

The winner attacked and went for her shots on a windy day on the clay at the Foro Italico, producing 44 winners and 38 unforced errors. She broke the seed sight times from 20 chances.

Caroline Wozniacki and Serena Williams set up the latest blockbuster match-up of the Mutua Madrid Open on Tuesday, battling past their second round opponents to set up an all-former World No.1 clash. The No.9-seeded Williams won first, dropping just 12 points in eight service games to record a commanding 62 61 win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

US Open champion Samantha Stosur got off to a winning start at the Madrid Masters Saturday, the Australian advancing to the second round with a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5) defeat of Croatian Petra Martic.

Stosur was joined by Romanian Sorana Cirstea, who upset French seventh seed Marion Bartoli 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-3.

French Open winner Li Na, the eighth seed, also made it through after dominating her opener against teenaged Madrid debutante Garbine Muguruza Blanco of Spain, who saved two match points before finally falling 6-2, 6-4.

The Premier Mandatory Mutua Madrid Open is receiving even more attention than usual this year because it will be the first tournament in history to be played on blue clay - switching from its traditional red clay. Those famed blue courts will be broken in by a few former Grand Slam champions on the first day of main draw action.

Saturday, First Round

Dominika Cibulkova and Sara Errani cruised to straight-set victories Saturday to set up a final at the Barcelona Open.

Cibulkova routed Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-1, 6-1, while seventh-seeded Italian Errani was a 6-1, 6-2 winner over Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro.

Errani's ninth straight victory on clay put her into a second final of the season. The 33rd-ranked Italian looks to follow up her Acapulco triumph in February.

Second seed Julia Goerges suffered a comprehensive 6-2 6-3 defeat at the hands of Sara Errani in the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open.

The German had been stretched in a three-set tussle in the previous round, and was a clear second-best against her Italian opponent.

Errani, seeded seven in Spain, forced 10 break points and converted half of them as she wrapped up victory in 76 minutes.

Next up for Errani is a showdown against home hope Carla Suarez-Navarro, who was equally clinical in a 6-4 6-1 demolition of Simona Halep.

Alisa Kleybanova has won her first match on return to tennis from treatment for cancer.

The 248th-ranked Kleybanova, who received a wild card entry into the tournament, dropped the first set to Johanna Larsson of Sweden before rebounding to secure a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory at Key Biscayne on Tuesday.

Kleybanova was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma last May and it has been 10 months since the 22-year-old Russian played a professional match.

With all 32 seeds receiving first round byes, a few of the WTA's rising stars will get some much-deserved time in the show court spotlight on the opening two days of the BNP Paribas Open. Among them are the talented young American duo of Jamie Hampton and Vania King, who take on Polona Hercog and Sara Errani respectively.

Wednesday, First Round

Timea Babos fought back to beat third-seeded Sorana Cirstea at the Monterrey Open in Mexico on Thursday, giving Hungary two berths in the quarterfinals of the WTA event.

Babos won 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to set up a quarterfinal against Austrian Patricia Mayr-Achleitner, who was a 6-1, 6-3 winner over Czech Eva Birnerova.

Babos joins compatriot Greta Arn in the final eight. The sixth-seeded Arn beat Croatia's Maria Abramovic 6-4, 6-2 and will play Nina Bratchikova in the quarters.