Top-Seeded Sharapova into Last 16 with Win over Hsieh

By Chris Oddo

Photo Credit: Paul Gilham/Getty Images

(June 29, 2012)—Maria Sharapova moved a step closer to becoming the first woman to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year since 2002 when she defeated Su-Wei Hsieh of Taiwan in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4.

For the second consecutive day, Sharapova struggled with her serve and the conditions. She duffed a double fault to hand Hsieh a break lead in the second set, and when her double-fisted opponent consolidated that break, it looked like Sharapova’s perfect three-set record in 2012 (she’s 9-0, remarkably) would be tested.

"She's a really tricky opponent," Sharapova said of her opponent. "She can be really aggressive but she changes up the pace really well with a lot of slices. I felt like I had to face a lot, just be more patient but still kind of play my game."

A determined Sharapova would rally to level the set at four before being tested on her serve again.

At 4-4 and with the blustery wind wreaking havoc, Sharapova fought off a break point from Hsieh and managed the crucial hold before breaking in the next game to seal the match, and a spot in the last 16, in 81 minutes.

The world No. 1 will next play a heavily anticipated fourth-round match against Sabine Lisicki of Germany.

“That's a tough one,” Sharapova said of the match with Lisicki, who was a semifinalist at Wimbledon last year. “She obviously did really well here last year and she's a really good grass court player, so I look forward to it.”

For Sharapova, a finalist at Wimbledon last year and the champion once before in 2004, things will get decidedly tougher in the next two rounds, as the Kim Clijsters farewell tour could be her opponent in the quarterfinals if she can survive the Lisicki challenge.

Lisicki Stays Hot, Slips Past Stephens

American Sloane Stephens picked the wrong time to come unglued. The 19-year-old, competing in her first Wimbledon, blew a 5-2 lead in the first-set tiebreaker against Lisicki, eventually losing the set and the match 7-6(5), 1-6, 6-2.

The 15th-seeded Lisicki still couldn’t make short work of the feisty American, however. Stephens rallied to level the match, playing a stingy second set that saw her make only 2 unforced errors and convert on both break points she saw.

But the bomb-serving Lisicki dialed in her attack for the final set, turning the tide by winning 14 of 17 first serve points, saving the only break point she faced and taking advantage of Stephen’s fickle first serve to earn two early breaks of her own.

It was yet another opportunistic performance for Lisicki, who always seems to be at her very best on the Wimbledon grass.

After suffering an ankle injury in Charleston this spring, Lisicki had lost in th first round of all four tournaments she had entered coming into Wimbledon.

Clijsters sets up Kerber Clash

Kim Clijsters advanced when Vera Zvonareva was forced to retire in the second set of her third-round match with the Belgian due to respiratory issues. Clijsters was leading 6-3, 4-3 at the time of retirement.

The extra rest will more than likely be needed when Clijsters faces 8th-seeded Angelique Kerber in the round of 16 on Monday. The 24-year-old is coming off a quarterfinal appearance at Roland Garros and a final appearance at the grass court tune-up Eastbourne. She eased past American hopeful Christina McHale 6-2, 6-3 today.

Around the Grounds

Agnieszka Radwanska made short of the last British hope on the women's side, with a 6-0, 6-2 thrashing of Heather Watson...Maria Kirilenko advanced with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Sorana Cirstea. Cirstea, 22, pulled the upset over Na Li in the second round...Italy's Camila Giorgi upset Nadia Petrova of Russia, 6-3, 7-6(6). The 20-year-old is playing in her second Grand Slam, and won her first Grand Slam match in round one...Shuai Peng of China took down Arantxa Rus, 6-1, 6-2 to reach her second consecutive Wimbledon round of 16. Rus was responsible for eliminating Sam Stosur in round two...19-year-old Slovakian Jana Cepelova reached the 3rd-round today in her first career Grand Slam. The qualifier will meet Victoria Azarenka in tomorrow's 3rd round.

Previewing Day 6:

Lots of third-round action on tap for Saturday:

Serena Williams will take on former Wimbledon quarterfinalist Zheng Jie on Centre Court tomorrow. Williams holds a 5-0 career edge over Zheng, including two victories at Wimbledon. Petra Kvitova will take on American Varvara Lepchenko at the same time on Court 1. The defending champion has lost only six games over the course of her two straight-set career wins over Lepchenko.

14th-seeded Ana Ivanovic will take on 22nd-seeded Julia Goerges, and 10th-seeded Sara Errani will take on Yaroslave Shvedova. 24th-seeded Francesca Schiavone will be in action against Klara Zakopalova, and 21st-seeded Roberta Vinci will take on upset-minded Mirjani Lucic.

Click here for the official order of play