Ivanovic the first through 6-2, 6-0

Kuznetsova wins 6-0, 6-3

Myskina loses 6-1, 6-0 to Shaughnessy (Ana hit 2 winners to 25 unforced errors!!)

Peer leading 6-1, 4-3.

Chakvetadze beating Molik 6-2, 5-3

Sharapova leading Loit 6-3, 1-1.

Former champion Ana losing with that score looks sad. Hope that Ana can turn things around and get back to the top.

Crikey, Myskina did even worse than I predicted! :yikes:

Poor Nastya :(

But it was her first match since January and Megahnn has had a reasonably successful clay season (QF of Istanbul) so it was always going to be tough...still I was hoping for a good run so she could find her form and do well at Eatbourne again :(

:o :o :o


but, Venus is doing well at the mo against Harkleroad 6-1 and 2-0

Despite being 6-1 2-0, Venus has made a complete pigs ear of the second set and is now serving to stay in it at 5-6... :rolleyes: :doh:

Elena Dementieva struggled past Mathilde Johansson 7-5, 7-5 - hopefully she has now ironed out the kinks from her game :D

Phew! Venus saves a number of set points and is through in the tiebreaker. :clap:

Venus stutters into round 3 with an unconvincing 6-1 7-6 win.
The usual display from Venus when she is playing well followed by what we have come to expect when the game goes awry, countless forehands being splayed into the tramlines and six feet beyond the baseline, backhands being dumped into the net and collapsing on the second serve. :rolleyes:
On a positive note she did break her own serve speed world record! :clap:

Tell me about it :rolleyes: What a total whackjob! :wacko:

She had four match points, the first two of which were at 61 51, she should've won then, but after serving for it at 5-2 her game totally fell apart. Why Venus, why!!!!! :rolleyes:

Then she saved 4 set points in the tie breaker before finally closing it out 61 76.

Perhaps she just wanted to make it last longer for more match practice roflmao None of this nonsense against Jankovic please :tsk:

Are they due to meet next?? :o
I hope it's later as I like them both and would like to see them deeper in the tournament.

Jankovic hasn't won her match yet, but if she does, she will meet Venus in the third round :(

It's a shame as I would've liked to see Jankovic in the semis, but I will be rooting for Venus as she needs a big win, my head tells me that Jankovic is going to pull it out with Venus being so inconsistent on clay, but I've just gotta have hope that Venus can pull it together :pray:

Yes due to meet in round 3.
Cant see Jelena being too worried if she watched this display from Venus! :D

Venus was in awesome form, then when she realised she broke the record, she made a little play to the crowd and lost her focus. I think its good news she regained that focus before losing the second set and am quite confident against her chances if she keeps her pre-record form up

Venus :phew: :phew: :phew:

What are you like?! roflmao

I was thinking, Venus you cant do a Maria 2006 job :lol:

She was playing amazingly for 95% of the match as well, until she went walkabout on her second serve :rolleyes: Still she was going for her shots when down which is a positive sign. If she was really feeling the pressure she would probably be out there in a final set. Venus turned it on when it mattered :ok:

World record too! :bow: :bow:

Not too shabby Venus! :D :yahoo:

Now lets have a blast against Jankovic! ;)

After bagelling Granville in the opening set Momo about to go 0-3 down in the second, one break of serve.

I didn't think Venus was totally going for all her shots.
I liked the fact she was hitting top spin forehands. A very sensible move from venus when her forehand was breaking down! :ok:

Good point, actually more margin for error :)

All it comes down to though is that she didnt start spraying the errors at key times- thank god roflmao

Stosur is having amesome clay form at the minute! She just won the first set 6-1 against Kirilenko! :D

Justine in good form. 4-0 up in no time at all.

Monfils and Chela are taking their time. Cmon Serena! :unsure:

Mauresmo through 6-0 7-5 :)

Very sporadic performance from mauresmo. Her nerves and inhibitions at this tourny really give players a taste for victory against her. Granville who has no distinguished clay-court pedigree really believed her chances in that second set. However though Mauresmo was able to get the American moving around the court, which just exposed the lack of clay-court skill of Granville. Mauresmo did implement some incrediblle angles with her backhand today, and was always on the move forward.

Still think Safarova could end her tourny in the third round though :unsure:

Justine is currently doing a Venus. After being 5-0 up at serving for the set at 5-1 she is has now been broken again whil serving for the set.

Pascek to serve at 4-5

Pacek has basically just outplayed Henin for those few games. Some of those back hands! Wow!

She is really on a mission isn't she! 5 all now, the last person to take more than 5 games off Henin at RG was Groenefled last year.

Wow! She's on fire, although i predict Henin to still take the set

She is playing Henin just how I would hope Serena would. Firing off both wings and moving forward to push Henin behind the baseline with some fantastic angles.

Dl04 do you like Bjork? :)

Gotta go now but don't wanna miss this match as Pascek is putting up a real fight!

C'mon Pascek!

Henin wraps up the set 7-5 :)

What a fantastic last game of that set, both players playing great tennis. Paszek wants it though, she was not happy to lose. 2nd set could be interesting, depends on how Justine comes out I feel though....

RAIN DELAY :(

Henin leads 3-0 in the second set...

I've never seen Justine blow a 5-0 lead in a set before...credit to Tamira for pushing her though!

Justine looks to have regained her form in the second :)

Paszek let Henin off the hook, in my opinion--it should have gone to a tiebreaker at the very least. She saved one set point and went on to earn advantage, and the Austrian teen could have ended her service game there--several cheap errors off her racquet later and she'd lost the set. Tremendous fightback, but the set might as well have ended at 6-0 instead of 7-5 for all the good it did her in the end, though of course for spectators it was quite a spectacle! At any rate the defending champion has reasserted herself in the second with an early 3-0 lead, and I trust this time she won't let it slip. :P

The top ladies seem to be having plenty of nervy moments today. Venus and Sharapova nearly found themselves in a decider, but once they forced tiebreakers (or failed to avert them in the American's case) their experience told against their opponents, whose challenge abruptly flagged on the big points. Mauresmo played a tight forehand wide and then sent an eminently makeable volley (her bread and butter really) long from 30-all whilst serving out her match, but did well to recover and take the next two games; it does, however, seem to not bode well mentally for her chances against Dechy and Safarova, having lost to both women in the past year. Jankovic meanwhile had a point for a 3-0 double-break lead in the first set but instead found herself locked at 3-all, where she found her game again. Then she held match point against Castaño on the Colombian's serve but failed to convert, and then the rains came. She must be regretting the lost opportunity to be finished for the day.

I was hoping the Serena match could go forward today, but it seems all but impossible now with Monfils and Chela splitting a set apiece and looking to go the distance even if the rain delay does end before long. The Sequera v Razzano match was a thriller, going 9-7 in the third--there were plenty of disappointing UEs and 22 (!) breaks of serve (both women are ranked in the 60s after all) but a barrage of winners for all that, totalling over 70 together. Sequera lost five games in a row from 5-2, so arguably could have won in straights, but Razzano served for the match not once but twice in the third and could have avoided going into extra sets by doing so. Long on suspense and momentum swings, then, if short on consistency. Heh. But yes, the Venezuelan generates some amazing pace for her slight build (but she also surprisingly demonstrated some nice feel at net), so I'd think she could prove an exciting match-up for the big-hitting Serena, even in heavy conditions.

Justine came out after the rain and won 7-5, 6-1

I was surprised by this result:

(Q) Ioana Raluca Olaru (ROU) d. (30) Julia Vakulenko (UKR) 64 61


Olaru is a talented player, but Vakulenko has had an excellent clay season (beating Kim and Amelie). I saw Julia play in the third round of the French last year against Patty Schnyder and she really pushed the Swiss. Julia serve was rather dodgy but I expected her to equal last years showing :shrug:

I was surprised also, although I recall Vakulenko had to pull out with an injury not long after her good run. Perhaps it's still nagging her somewhat or she hasn't had enough matches since? A pity since she seemed to have a good clear path to the third round, where she may have even tested Ivanovic.

Slightly tangential point..

I'm thinking that this is the first slam that both Williams sisters have both made it past the first round since the USO 2005.. is this right?? :shrug:

i do indeed :D

Yep well spotted Petalp :)

God that long eh? :lol: