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☆ Azarenka upsets Krejcikova, Wozniacki loses Cincinnati opener
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 15 (Reuters) - Twice champion Victoria Azarenka upset Czech 11th seed Barbora Krejcikova 6-3 7-5 on Tuesday to reach the Cincinnati Open second round while Danish wildcard Caroline Wozniacki, in her second tournament out of retirement, lost her opening match. The 34-year-old unseeded Belarusian Azarenka broke Krejcikova four times, saved three of five break points and won the final five games of a match lasting one hour 45 minutes. Krejcikova battled to get the opener back on serve but Azarenka broke right back and then went on to serve out the first set in the following game on her second set point. Former world number one Wozniacki had her chances but failed to convert any of her nine break points while Gracheva's backhand proved too much for the Dane to handle. Czech ninth seed Petra Kvitova, a Cincinnati finalist last year, also booked her spot in the second round with a 7-6(2) 6-0 win over Russian Anna Blinkova.

Persons: Victoria Azarenka, Caroline Wozniacki, Belarusian Azarenka, Krejcikova, Azarenka, Wozniacki, Varvara Gracheva, Dane, Petra Kvitova, Anna Blinkova, Jelena Ostapenko, Karolina Pliskova, Elena Rybakina, Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina, Holder Carolina Garcia of, Sloane Stephens, Frank Pingue, Ken Ferris Organizations: Cincinnati, Belarusian, Wimbledon, Court, U.S, Thomson Locations: Czech, Montreal, France, Tunisian, Toronto

☆ Wimbledon day seven
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

1925 SWIATEK SURVIVES AGAINST BENCICPoland's top seed Iga Swiatek rallied from a set down and saved two match points to beat Swiss 14th seed Belinda Bencic 6-7(4) 7-6(2) 6-3 and reach her first Wimbledon quarter-finals. 1245 TEENAGER ANDREEVA BEATS POTAPOVARussian qualifier Mirra Andreeva beat 22nd-seeded compatriot Anastasia Potapova 6-2 7-5 to enter the fourth round, where she will face American Madison Keys. The 16-year-old Andreeva is making her first-ever appearance in the Wimbledon main draw. 1225 VONDROUSOVA MOVES INTO QUARTER-FINALSVondrousova moved into the quarter-finals after beating fellow Czech and 32nd seed Marie Bouzkova 2-6 6-4 6-3. Ukrainian wildcard Elina Svitolina will face Belarusian two-time major winner Victoria Azarenka in the fourth round.

Persons: Elina Svitolina, Victoria, SWIATEK, BENCIC, Iga Swiatek, Belinda Bencic, Bencic, Andreeva, Nadal, Shapovalov, Dimitrov, Tsitsipas, Ukraine's, Boulter, Andreescu Alcaraz, Jarry, Fokina, Rune, Jannik Sinner, Colombia's Daniel Elahi Galan, Andrey Rublev, Alexander Bublik, Rublev, SAFIULLIN, Safiullin, Denis Shapovalov, Jessica Pegula, Marketa Vondrousova, DIMITROV, Frances Tiafoe, Grigor Dimitrov, ANDREEVA, Mirra Andreeva, Anastasia Potapova, Vondrousova, Marie Bouzkova, Novak Djokovic, Iga, Pearl Josephine Nazare, Aadi Nair, Rohith Nair, Janina Nuno Rios, Clare Fallon Organizations: Wimbledon, AZARENKA Ukrainian, Victoria Azarenka of, Swiss, Wimbledon Vondrousova, Bouzkova, Belarusian Azarenka, Medvedev, Kazakh, Court, Madison Keys, Czech, Victoria Azarenka, Christian, Thomson Locations: Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, Russian, Bulgarian, Belarusian

Wildcard Svitolina will be looking to get the better of Azarenka for the first time, having lost to the former Grand Slam champion in their last five meetings. Yeah, I'm looking forward to this challenge," Svitolina said after she dispatched Sofia Kenin in the third round. "It's another match but in a way, a lot of Ukrainians will be watching, will be supporting me. While Svitolina took a year off for the birth of her daughter Skai with husband and fellow tennis player Gael Monfils, her return to the Tour in March was seamless. Azarenka, however, said she was happy for Svitolina after she had a baby and returned to the court.

Persons: Elina Svitolina's, Aryna Sabalenka, Azarenka, Svitolina, Sofia Kenin, Skai, Gael Monfils, Russia's Andrey Rublev, Alexander Bublik, Iga, Belinda Bencic, Novak, Hubert Hurkacz ., Djokovic, He's, Rohith Nair, Clare Fallon Organizations: Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, Wimbledon, neutrals, Olympic, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Sunday's, Ukraine, Moscow, Belarus, Sabalenka, Belarusian, Kazakhstan, Bengaluru

☆ Rybakina takes down Azarenka to reach first Australian Open final
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The 22nd-seeded Rybakina was broken as she served for the set but Azarenka double-faulted to concede three match points in the next game, allowing the Kazakh to close out an emphatic win. Rybakina shrugged it off then broke Azarenka twice, repeatedly outrallying the powerful Belarusian. Running full tilt, she saved a set point with a forehand passing shot and put the pressure back on Rybakina. Though failing to land a first serve 11 times in succession, Rybakina saved three break points at 5-5 before momentum shifted again when Azarenka tightened up in the tiebreak. Rybakina wobbled when serving out the match, a double-fault coughing up three break points and opening the door for Azarenka.

☆ Azarenka up for the challenge as Sabalenka seeks calm
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Although Sabalenka and Magda Linette of Poland will be playing in their first semi-finals at Melbourne Park, Azarenka returns to final-four action after a decade away when she takes on Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. Now a self-confessed "obnoxious" soccer mom, the 33-year-old Azarenka looked every inch the player who won back-to-back Australian Open titles in 2012 and 2013 when she took apart in-form third seed Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals. "It will be a great matchup," said Belarusian Azarenka, who lost their only meeting in straight sets at Indian Wells last year. Sabalenka, who has played three previous Grand Slam semi-finals and lost them all, knows that her biggest battle on Thursday will most likely be with her own emotions. "I think it's going to be a great test for me, if I can actually keep myself calm in key moments," Sabalenka said.

☆ Raducanu suffers injury scare ahead of Australian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"So to be stopped by a freak injury, rolling an ankle is pretty disappointing, in the first week as well. The Australian Open begins on Jan. 16. AZARENKA THROUGHAt the Adelaide International 1 WTA 500 event, twice Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka saw off Zheng Qinwen 6-2 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals alongside unseeded duo Irina-Camelia Begu and Linda Noskova. China's Zheng, who was named WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2022, sent down 10 aces and 34 winners but also made 35 unforced errors at the Australian Open warm-up event. Belarusian Azarenka next faces Czech teenager Noskova, who followed up her first-round upset of Daria Kasatkina with a 6-2 6-2 win over fellow qualifier Clair Liu.

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