Victoria Azarenka demolishes Ana Ivanovic in Roland Garros fourth round

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Wilson Blade 9

Victoria Azarenka at the 2009 French OpenDefending champion Ana Ivanovic was quickly defeated by Victoria Azarenka in the fourth round of Roland Garros.

The ninth-seeded Azarenka stormed through the first set, breaking the eighth-seeded Ivanovic in the third and seventh games, and the Belorussian continued the trend up until leading 4-0 in the second set by winning seven games in a row. Then Ivanovic gave some resistance, but all her tries were short lived and she said goodbye on Azarenka’s first match point.

Azarenka’s next opponent will be top seed Dinara Safina, who is still on fire, losing just one game to Aravane Rezai to advance to the last eight. Can it be more impressive? The last year’s finalist Safina lost only five games en route to the quarterfinals. (photo: Stephane Martinache)

12 COMMENTS

  1. I have never met anyone in life more negative than I am. ;P

    Guess what, Maria made it through again! I, as always, thought she was going to lose. Maria definitely deserves the title the comeback Queen, and the Queen of three-sets.

    Hope Maria can make the semifinals and set a match with Dinara Safina.

  2. It seems everyone would now agree The Dawn of Dina Dominance has begun, (excuse the abbreviation).

    Marija, can you believe both defending champions dethroned? The fact that Ana having after produced bouts of marvellous tennis last week, succumbed to her insecurities, and hence patchy form and unforced errors today… The magnitude of today’s loss-

    and Rafael Nadal…where does anyone begin?

  3. She’s been doing well, but I wouldn’t say she’s been necessarily tested by a top player, despite me really liking Li Na, so I’ll decide if she’s really back if she makes it past Cibulkova (sorry, not the biggest fan of Maria). I think despite being away from tennis for so long, if you’re a top player, you should be able to defeat lower ranked players, i.e. look at Serena winning Australia in 2007. Plus I know she has the drive and mental capabilities. So I’d even wait until Semis- I think she’s had a easier draw than other players. Is that a bit harsh? Sorry!

    Woooo Victoria. She’s on fire! She was definitely one of my dark horses. And I can’t wait for the match between her and Dinara. It should be hopefully something. I really hope Dinara wins, but I hope Victoria puts up a fight than Dinara.

  4. Ms. Lily I agree with you on your comments of Sharapova. She is having a nice run considering that clay is not her favorable surface and coming back from injury but if she would have faced Azarenka, JJ, or Dinara she would have been sent packing long ago.

    Ms. Zuleika, Dinara is been on an incredible run she has not drop a set as of yet. I have her winning the whole thing. I think she will drop a set against Azarenka, but if Dinara wins RG without dropping a set it would be the most dominating clay court season that I seen by a player.

  5. Forgot about Ana, her level of play has clearly dropped. I think this new coach that she hired has not done anything to elevate her game: The unforced errors continue, her serve still is shaky; also he has not developed Ana’s mental toughness, focus, nor her killer mentality. This is the reason why Ivanovic lacks confidence on court. Without a doubt Azarenka was superior player on court today, and Ana was simply out matched. If Azarenka would not have gotten nervous in the second set, the score might have been more embarrassing for Ana. Is back to the drawing board for Ivanovic.

  6. Thanks Carlos- it’s just a little while ago, when Dina fans including myself insisted that this year would be her ascendancy to supremacy on the women’s game, critics and the majority of the tennis community thrashed like fish out of water insisting that were we either ludicrous or had ‘vision disorders’, ‘ (or some on less formal blogs- both) after all, they urged she is ‘sooooo….inconsistent’ and ‘hasn’t won a title since Tokyo back in…’ despite her awe-inspiring form since FO 08. As Dina’s potential promised, her raquet did all the talking and has now succesfully silenced all the critics.

    Anyhow, has anyone also noticed Dina has been wearing makeup? Does such signify quest for enhancement of appearance and presentation,once she becomes the (hopefully and most probably) FO 09 W.Champion’s?

  7. Zuleika, I have to say I’m not surprised Ana went out early, actually, the fourth round is about the furthest I had expected her to go. And, yes, I’ve noticed Safina has improved her looks, a lot.

    And I have to add, Carlos, not only did Dinara not lose a set, she has lost only a few games so far.

  8. Yes, I think she’s only lost 5 games in 4 matches so far, which proves she’s been very dominant. I just hope she won’t use up all her brilliant match play before the finals because I really want her to win!!

  9. Definetely, Dina’s attempted professional approach and reformed mentality will hopefully conserve energy and stabilise her psyche.

    “I’m trying to be very, I mean, professional, how you say?” Safina said. “I think this is something new in me, that before I would maybe just go out there and play and then waste my energy.

    However, I believe this quote is a great summary,

    “Safina has gone to work at Roland Garros like a type A chief executive. Her profit report through the round of 16: Eight sets won, none lost; four sets won at love; a total of five games dropped; an average match time of 59 minutes.”

    And finally this quote does Dina justice:

    Safina doesn’t seem to have been knocked off stride by the comments. She has spent her entire career trying to escape the shadows cast by others, and she’s no longer blinded when the spotlight shines on her. “At the end of the day,” she said, “I still got to where I wanted to be: No. 1. Doesn’t matter, fast or slow. I’m there.”

    Carillo: “I think it’s time we appreciate that she’s been doing exactly what she should do to be No. 1,” Carillo said. “She deserves a little piece of turf that’s all hers.”

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