Lucie Hradecka stuns Petra Kvitova in Madrid

Lucie Hradecka

The big shock in the WTA Madrid draw was the exit of the defending champion, Petra Kvitova, who was sensationally ousted by the big hitting Lucie Hradecka, 6-4 6-3.  Hradecka has an explosive game, but she is even more inconsistent than Kvitova and has really struggled for form in recent months.  I tipped Kvitova for the title this week and did not see this coming! Hradecka will play Ekaterina Makarova in the 3rd round for the chance to play Sam Stosur in the quarter-finals.  The scheduling in Madrid is another thing to add to the list of moans this week with Stosur progressing to the quarters, while her opponents were barely finishing their second round matches.

In other matches, Victoria Azarenka recovered from a 4-2 first set deficit and several jitters in her final game to beat Ana Ivanovic, 6-4 6-4.  She will play Li Na in the quarter-finals who produced one of, if not her best performance of 2012 in an accomplished display over the in-form Angelique Kerber, 6-4 7-5.  Agnieszka Radwanska snapped Sara Errani's clay court winning streak with a thumping 6-0 6-1 victory and she will play Roberta Vinci in the third round who has looked at home on the blue clay as she produced another superb performance to dispatch Yanina Wickmayer, 6-1 6-2.

In the ATP tournament, John Isner was the highest seed to fall as he was beaten by the improving Marin Cilic, 7-6 7-6.  Roger Federer avoided a potential upset as he fought past Milos Raonic, 4-6 7-5 7-6 in an electrifying second round match.  Raonic was terrific throughout the first two sets; he won 12 straight points to claim the opening set and produced some sensational strokes during the second set.  However missed chances and missed first serves cost Raonic the second set before Federer edged a tight third set.

WTA Predictions:

Agnieszka Radwanska to beat Roberta Vinci in 2 tight sets

Ekaterina Makarova to beat Lucie Hradecka in 3 sets

Serena Williams to beat Caroline Wozniacki in 2 sets
Maria Sharapova to beat Lucie Safarova in 2 very tight sets

ATP Predictions:

Novak Djokovic to beat Stanislas Wawrinka in 3 sets
Giles Simon to beat Janko Tipsarevic in 3 sets
Roger Federer to beat Richard Gasquet in 2 sets
David Ferrer to beat Nicolas Almagro in 3 sets
Juan Martin Del Potro to beat Marin Cilic in 2 sets
Alexandr Dolgopolov to beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 3 sets
Tomas Berdych to beat Gael Monfils in 2 sets
Rafael Nadal to beat Fernando Verdasco in 2 sets


The highlights from the Radwanska/Errani and Li/Kerber matches.


There was some great sportsmanship from Tsonga at the end of this match when he failed to get a ball and owned up to it to hand the point to Harrison.  We need more of this in the game...