Date:15/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/15/stories/2008051556612300.htm

Sport - Tennis

Pironkova ousts Ivanovic

ROME: Top-seeded Ana Ivanovic was upset by Bulgarian qualifier Tsvetana Pironkova 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 on Wednesday in the second round of the Italian Open.

Ivanovic struggled with her consistency and serving and never seemed comfortable on the red clay at the Foro Italico. She committed 59 unforced errors to Pironkova’s 26.

Federer cruises

At Hamburg, top-ranked Roger Federer eased past Jarkko Nieminen 6-1, 6-3 to reach the third round of the Hamburg Masters, a tournament he has won four times.

Earlier, Janko Tipsarevic rallied to upset seventh-seeded James Blake 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, while Nicolas Kiefer beat Slanislas Wawrinka, the runner-up at the Rome Masters on Sunday, 7-5, 7-5.

The results:

At Hamburg (Hamburg Masters): Second round: Roger Federer bt Jarkko Nieminen 6-1, 6-3; Robin Soderling bt Jo-Wilifried Tsonga 6-2, 7-5; Nicolas Kiefer bt Stanislas Wawrinka 7-5, 7-5; Janko Tipsarevic bt James Blake 4-6, 6-3, 6-3; Marat Safin bt Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-4; Juan Monaco bt Simone Bolelli 6-2, 6-1; Ivo Karlovic bt Tommy Robredo 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(3); Albert Montanes bt Jose Acasuso 7-6(3), 6-3.

At Rome (Italian Open): Second round: Venus Williams bt Samantha Stosur 6-4, 6-1; Tsvetana Pironkova bt Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 5-7, 6-2; Vera Zvonareva bt Iveta Benesova 7-5, 4-6, 7-5; Sara Errani bt Agnes Szavay 6-0, 6-3; Agnieszka Radwanska bt Roberta Vinci 3-6, 6-2, 6-2; Caroline Wozniacki bt Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-4; Victoria Azarenka bt Monica Niculescu 6-3, 6-2; Serena Williams bt Alona Bondarenko 6-2, 6-0.

First round: Patty Schnyder bt Mariya Koryttseva 3-6, 6-2, 6-3; Flavia Pennetta bt Olga Savchuk 6-7(9), 6-3, 6-1; Kateryna Bondarenko bt Tathiana Garbin 7-5, 6-4. — Agencies