TENNIS – Daria Gavrilova upset Maria Sharapova in straight sets with 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 to achieve the best win of her career. It was an absolute surprise considering that Gavrilova had never beaten a player ranked higher than Number 35 and reached the top-100 for the first time earlier this week. Agniewska Radwanska edged Anna Schmiedlova with 6-4 7-5 Diego Sampaolo
World Number 97 Daria Gavrilova produced a series of winners to open up a 5-3 lead in the first set. On the contrary Sharapova committed too many errors. Sharapova reeled off three games in a row to take the 6-5 lead and forced the set to the tie-break. Gavrilova won the tie-break with 7-4 after 68 minutes.
Gavrilova broke serve early in the second set cruising to a 3-0 leadin the second set. Sharapova clawed her back into the match from 1-4 to 3-4 but Gavrilova never looked back winning the final two games of the second set to clinch a well deserved win with 7-6 6-3. Gavrilova will take on Kurumi Nara who pulled off a surprise when she upset beating Caroline Garcia with 6-3 7-6 (11-9)
It’s just the fourth time in the history of the Miami Open that the seed number 2 is knowcked out of the tournament in the first round. Gavrilova entered the Miami tournament as a wild card after reaching the second round at Indian Wells (staring from the qualifying round) where she was beaten by eventual champion Simona Halep
“I still can’t realize that it’s my dream. I have been dreaming about beating Maria since I was probably 12, when I watched her win at Wimbledon. I wanted to play her and beat her. I played Angelique Kerber twice this year and Simona Halep just two weeks ago and I was close all the time. So I thought: “Okay, you can do it.You are probably at this level right now”, said Gavrilova
Sharapova was very disappointed wither match. “She runs a lot of balls down. I was committing a lot of errors. I was not really staying patient. I was going for too many winners and but not moving forward enough. It’s bit of a surprise. It’s a first round. I am expected to win but that’s why you play the matches. You still have to go out and win it, no matter if you are the favourite. Today I didn’t”,
Agniewska Radwanska, winner in Miami in 2012, overcame Anna Schmiedlova’s strong come-back in the second set with 6-4 7-5. Radwanska broke serve twice to open up a 3-0 lead. Schmieldova recovered one break but Radwanska wrapped up the first set with 6-4. Schmiedlova took a 2-0 lead but Radwanska reeled off 4 games to go up 4-2 with a break in the sixth game. The Polish player led by a set and a break and looked to be cruising to a easy win but Schmiedlova broke back for 5-4 and came two points within two points of forcing the match to the third set. Radwanska took the decisive break for 6-5 with a forehand winner and served out for the match. Radwanska, who won the Miami title in 2012, will take on Cammelia Begu who came back from a set down to battle past Tereza Smitkova 5-7 6-4 6-4.
Venus Williams, winner at Key Biscayne in 1998, 1999 and 2001, cruised past Ursula Radwanska 6-3 6-2 in her first match since the Doha semifinals against Vika Azarenka. Venus hit 22 winners to 24 unforced errors to wrap up the match in 66 minutes. Venus dropped her serve three times and committed 21 unforced errors but wrapped up the match in one hour.
Venus held serve to love before breaking serve to 15 to open up a 2-0 lead at the start of the first set. Both players traded breaks in the following games to 3-3 before Williams won three consecutive games to wrap up the first set with 6-3. After dropping serve in the second game of the second set Venus took control of the match and broke serve for 5-2. She confirmed the break to close out the second set with 6-2 after 31 minutes.
In the third round Venus will take on Sam Stosur who bounced back from losing the second set to overcome Pauline Parmentier from France with 6-1 3-6 6-0. Williams leads 6-1 in her previous seven head-to-head matches against Stosur.
Venus could meet Caroline Wozniacki in the fourth round. The Danish star reeled off the first nine games to ease past Madison Brengle 6-1 6-0 setting up a third round match against Kaia Kanepi who beat Varvara Lepchenko 6-2 6-4.
Ekaterina Makarova cruised past Karin Knapp 6-1 6-3. Makarova played a solid first set in which she faced just one break point to win 6-1. In the second set the Russian player dropped her serve once but she soon took control of the match and closed out with 6-3
Andrea Petkovic eased past Christina Mchale with 6-2 6-2. Kristina Mladenovic upset Barbora Zahlavova Strykova with 7-5 6-2.
Alizé Cornet beat Elena Vesnina 6-4 6-1. The French player made three double faults to drop her serve at the start of the match but she broke back. The first set was looking to be decided at the tie-break but Vesnina committed a series of costly errors as she was serving for the set. Cornet started the second set with a break of serve and cruised to a easy 6-1. Cornet will face Carla Suarez Navarro in the third round.
