Thursday's Play (Third round)
(2) Sharapova d. (13) Ivanovic, 7-6 (4), 6-3 —Richard Pagliaro's Racquet Reaction
(4) Kvitova d. Cirstea, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2
V. Williams d. (5) Stosur, 6-4, 6-3 —Richard Pagliaro's Racquet Reaction
(8) Li d. Scheepers, 7-6 (3), 6-2
(9) S. Williams d. Medina Garrigues, 6-3, 6-1
(12) Kerber d. Goerges, 6-4, 6-1
Pennetta d. Cetkovska, 6-0, 6-1
Friday's Order of Play (Quarterfinals)
(9) S. Williams v. Pennetta [Centrale]
—6 am EST.
(4) Kvitova d. (12) Kerber [Centrale]
—Not before 1:20 pm EST.
—Current form favors Kerber, who has won two titles this year and seven of her last nine clay-court matches. Kvitova has slumped since her run to the Australian Open semifinals, but she is the more complete, imposing player, she beat Kerber last month in Stuttgart, and if she can tame her recent wild streak, the Wimbledon winner should win this battle of left handers.
The Pick: Kvitova
(8) Li d. (14) Cibulkova [Supertennis]
—To follow one men's singles match, which begins at 6 am EST.
—Both women like to straddle the baseline and sting flat shots into the corners. In their only prior meeting on dirt, Li won two years ago in Madrid, 7-5 in the third. The Roland Garros champion can serve bigger, should handle the pace she’s sure to receive from Cibulkova, and is the pick to reach her second straight Rome semifinal.
The Pick: Li
(2) Sharapova v. V. Williams [Supertennis Arena]
—Not before 9 am EST.
—The reigning champion played with grit and guts against Ana Ivanovic, saving six set points, while Venus reeled off five consecutive games in sweeping Samantha Stosur. The second-seeded Sharapova has won 19 of her last 22 matches, including the Stuttgart title, and is riding a seven-match Rome winning streak. Venus, the 1999 champion, is bidding for her seventh Rome semifinal. They’ve split six meetings in setting up this blockbuster (their first meeting in three years); the first strike will be crucial. While Sharapova is the steadier player, Venus’ superior speed and serve—if she’s landing it—give her the edge.
The Pick: Williams
TV Schedule
6:00 am - 12:00 pm: Rome (M), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Live)
1:30 pm - 3:30 pm: Rome (W), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Live)
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm: Rome (M), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Live)
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm: Rome (W), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Delay)
7:30 pm - 11:30 pm: Rome (M), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Repeat)
11:30 pm - 3:30 am: Rome (W), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Repeat)