BNP Paribas Open 2012 Day 7 & 8 Results: Victoria Azarenka Still Perfect, Caroline Wozniacki Gone

No player on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tour had begun a season 21-0 since Serena Williams in 2003. Until today, that is.

No. 1 seed Victoria Azarenka defeated No. 5 seed Agnieszka Radwanska to remain perfect.

The 68-minute match almost ended in a double bagel, but Radwanska broke Azarenka at 5-0 in the second set to tack on a couple of games. The final score was 6-0, 6-2.

From BNP Paribas Open:

“My strategy is always try to be better every day,” said Azarenka, the only player on the WTA tour to win mulitple titles in 2012. “It doesn’t matter how good it’s gonna be. It’s just to try to be better and give everything you can on that particular day. Doesn’t matter if it’s practice, match, fitness, whatever it is. That kind of gives me [a] mental advantage for myself to be to know that no matter what, I did my best and I tried my best. I’m just trying to enjoy every moment I play and trying to be better every day.”

Azarenka is now into the semifinals and will face the winner of the match between No. 8 seed Li Na and No. 18 seed Angelique Kerber.

On the men’s side:

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer both advanced. No. 2 seed Nadal won his match against No. 26 seed Marcel Granollers in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4, in just one hour and 27 minutes.

No. 3 seed Federer beat No. 27 seed Milos Raonic after dropping the first set in a tiebreaker, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-4.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Juan Martin del Potro were also victorious on Day 8. No. 5 seed David Ferrer lost in straight sets.

Matches to watch on Day 9 (seeds in bold)

[7] Marion Bartoli (FRA) vs. [15] Ana Ivanovic (SRB)

[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs.[12] Nicolas Almagro (ESP)

[20] Maria Kirilenko (RUS) vs. [2] Maria Sharapova (RUS)

Ryan Harrison (USA) OR Gilles Simon (FRA) vs. [11] John Isner (USA)

Day 7 Results

BNP Paribas Open defending champion Caroline Wozniacki is gone from the tournament in the fourth round.

No. 15 seed Ana Ivanovic beat Wozniacki, the No. 4 seed, in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.

From BNP Paribas Open:

“I just really knew I had to be aggressive and I knew I had to accept mistakes because she does make you play extra balls,” [Ivanovic] said of the difference between the two meetings. “I did that really well, and I served much, much better than I did in the last match.”