Right time for Part 2 of my posts on the Mutua Madrid Open, the joint WTA/ATP tour event, which will cover the men's and ladies quarter finals and the ladies semi finals matches.
So to start off with the ladies, first up we had Serena Williams who had a real tough battle against one of the home favourites, Anabel Medina Garrigues, who put the World No.1 to the test in a 3 setter. After taking the first set with fair ease, Serena went on to suffer something she had not done for five years, losing her first bagel set. However Serena fought back in the decider as she eventually went on to break Garrigues and sealed the victory in just over 2 hours and 15 minutes with a 6-3, 0-6, 7-5 win. This was quite a stern test for Serena, but like all great champions she knew how to fight back and dig out the win, especially after losing the 2nd set so dramatically.
Next up on the ladies quarter finals was Sara Errani, who had an easier time of it against Ekaterina Makarova, who conquered Victoria Azarenka in the 2nd round, however the plucky Italian had more than enough to take down the Russian, which she did in 6-4, 6-3. Ana Ivanovic also breezed past the 6th seed, Angelique Kerber in just a mere 6-3, 6-1, showing great form on the clay, probably her best since winning the French open five years ago. And Maria Sharapova also in her match took on Kaia Kanepi, who she also dismissed in an error prone match from Kanepi in just 6-2, 6-4.
This set up the ladies semi finals, the first of which was between Serena Williams and Sara Errani, which for the first set was a real test for Serena, as Errani showed her tenacity and also went up a break twice. But Serena soon levelled the scores 5-5 and went on to break Errani to close out the set, and in the 2nd set it was all about Serena who swiftly moved into a double break position and sealed the win to reach her 2nd consecutive final in Madrid with a 7-5, 6-2 scoreline. And the 2nd semi final was between Ana Ivanovic and Maria Shararpova, who both had a tough encounter in their last meeting in Stuttgart. However this time it was a much more forward affair, and despite trading breaks in both sets, it was Sharapova broke when it counted most and closed out the match with a 6-4, 6-3 win.
So this sets up the ladies final which will see the top two players in the world, Serena and Maria go at it for the No.1 spot, with Maria looking to get it back and for Serena to cling on to it. So who will win this one???? Well personally I think given tremendous record over her, that Serena will once again win this one, most likely in straight sets, although in their previous meeting Maria definitely suceeded in getting closer to Serena than before. And on clay Maria moves pretty well and it suits her game also, whereas Serena this week has not played her best, and that could go against her. However Serena is only one of the best players to have played the game, and she knows how to dig out a win, no matter how down and out she might be, and no doubt she will use her overwhelming record against Sharapova in her favour tomorrow, so for me she's the only winner.
Now onto the men's matches and the quarter finals proved to be pretty eventful, starting with Rafa who took on his compatriot David Ferrer, whom Rafa has a great record over on clay. But it was Ferrer, who for once got off to the stronger start as he broke Rafa to take the opening set, and the first against him on clay for 6 years! In the 2nd set Ferrer had his chances to gain his first win on clay over his good friend, as he went a break up, but he couldn't maintain and before long Rafa got back into the match and levelled the scores into a tiebreak, which Rafa won. And in the 3rd set Ferrer wilted badly as he made a rash of unforced errors allowing Rafa to ease to victory by dishing out a creamy bagel set to Ferrer and taking his quarter final place after a tough 2 hours and 35 minutes, with the score reading 4-6, 7-6, 6-0. It was a pity for Ferrer that he wasn't quite able to shut the door on Rafa, as this was probably his best chance, but again it just wasn't to be as Rafa was always going to find way to get it done, which he did.
In other matches we had Kei Nishikori take on another Spaniard, Pablo Andujar, and with having stunned Roger Federer in the previous round, Kei looked like the favourite. However Andujar took the initiative in the 1st set to win it, and in the 2nd despite being a break up and being broken back at 5-5, he broke again and went onto to win in 6-3, 7-5. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in his quarter final faced once again Stan Wawrinka, who so far in the clay court season has been in terrific form, as he had already defeated top players such as Andy Murray in Monte Carlo, and David Ferrer in the final of the Portugal open last week. And he continued his great form here with a tough match against Tsonga, as both men took a set each in the 3rd it was Stan who made the move and made the semi final in Madrid with a 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 win.
So now onto the last match which was Andy Murray who took on his clay court nemesis, Tomas Berdych, whom he has never beaten on the red dirt. And unfortunatley for Andy his clay court sorrow continued here, as despite going a break up in the 1st set, Berdych broke back, and as play went by serve into a tiebreak, it was Berdy that nabbed the set. In the 2nd the two men traded service breaks, but it was Andy after breaking back to make it 2-2, who made the fatal error of dropping serve again, and from there Berdych never looked back and went on to win his 3rd successive clay court match over Andy in 7-6, 6-4.
Well all things considered this was not a bad effort from Andy who in his previous match had to really battle his was past an inspired Gilles Simon, who refused to go away in their 3rd round encounter, and Andy edged in a near 3 hour trial. And it was always going to be a tough ask for Andy to win against Berdych, who is an excellent clay court player, who has a more natural flair for the surface than he does. But overall its been a good week for Andy, as he has managed to secure the World No.2 spot again as Federer suffered an early defeat and being the defending champion having lost most of his ranking points, and he outlasted Djokovic in the event as well. So while its a disappointment that Andy lost, at least as he said himself that his clay court season is starting to move in the right direction, so I'll wish him all the best for the Rome Open, which starts on Monday.
And that's it for now, more to follow soon on the men's and ladies finals.
Bye the now.
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