Sharapova, Radwanska, Clijsters advance at Wimbledon
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Russian superstar Maria Sharapova, steady Pole Agnieszka Radwanska and outgoing Belgian Kim Clijsters were all easy third-round victors Friday at Wimbledon.
The world No. 1 Sharapova handled Taiwan's Su-Wei Hsieh 6-1, 6-4 in 81 minutes amid windy conditions on Court 1 at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
"Considering the conditions, I'm pretty happy with the way I played," said Sharapova, who is now 16-1 in Grand Slam action this year.
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The career Grand Slam winner is fresh off her French Open title three weeks ago, captured her lone Wimbledon championship in 2004, and was last year's Wimbledon runner-up to powerful Czech Petra Kvitova.
Sharapova will meet 15th-seeded big-serving German Sabine Lisicki in the fourth round on Monday in a rematch of a semifinal here from last year, which was won by the tall Russian.
The unseeded former world No. 1 Clijsters was leading 12th-seeded Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 4-3 when the Russian retired due to an upper respiratory illness on Court 1. This marked a rematch of the 2010 U.S. Open final, which was also won by the three-time U.S. Open champion Clijsters.
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Zvonareva was the 2010 Wimbledon runner-up to American great Serena Williams.
The 29-year-old Clijsters is still seeking that elusive first-ever trip into a Wimbledon final, and this is her last chance, as the wife and mother will retire from tennis following this summer's U.S. Open.
"It's a pleasure to be a part of the second week of a Grand Slam, especially at Wimbledon," Clijsters said.
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The two-time Wimbledon semifinalist Clijsters' fourth-round opponent will be eighth-seeded German lefthander Angelique Kerber.
A third-seeded Radwanska routed promising 20-year-old Brit Heather Watson 6-0, 6-2 under the roof on Centre Court, while the rocketing Kerber dismissed 28th- seeded American Christina McHale 6-2, 6-3 on Court 2.
The aforementioned Lisicki topped rising American Sloane Stephens 7-6 (7-5), 1-6, 6-2. A disappointed Stephens blew a 5-2 lead in the first-set tiebreak on Day 5 of this fortnight.
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The capable oft-injured Lisicki was a Wimbledon semifinalist last year and quarterfinalist in 2009. She missed the 2010 edition of tennis' most prestigious event due to injury.
Also on Friday, 17th-seeded Russian glamour girl Maria Kirilenko whipped Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 6-1, upstart 20-year-old Italian Camila Giorgi knocked out 20th-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova 6-3, 7-6 (8-6), and 30th-seeded Chinese Peng Shuai blew away talented Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus 6-1, 6-2 to reach the round of 16. Giorgi will face Radwanska, while Kirilenko and Peng will square off on Monday.
The second round concluded when little-known 19-year-old Slovak Jana Cepelova took out 26th-seeded Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3. Cepelova is rewarded with a third-round match Saturday against second- seeded former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, who is the reigning Australian Open champ.
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Rain delayed the start of action in this London suburb on Friday.
The third round is scheduled to conclude on Saturday, including matches for Azarenka, a fourth-seeded Kvitova and a sixth-seeded Williams. Azarenka will meet the upstart Cepelova, while Kvitova will face rising American Varvara Lepchenko, and the former No. 1 and four-time Wimbledon titlist Williams will battle 25th-seeded Chinese Zheng Jie.
Also on the Day-6 schedule will be French Open runner-up Sara Errani, former top-ranked star Ana Ivanovic and former Roland Garros champ Francesca Schiavone.