Caroline Wozniacki, Petra Kvitova Advance At Dubai 2013 On Day 3; Serena Williams Withdraws With Lower Back Injury

Caroline Wozniacki (click to enlarge)

Some of the luster of the 2013 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships was lost when Victoria Azarenka withdrew citing an injury. On day 3, a little more luster dulled on this tournament when Serena Williams pulled out with a lower back injury. As a result, Marion Bartoli advances. Of course, the tournament still has great players, including some of my favorites like Petra Kvitova and Caroline Wozniacki. However, when an event expects to have the world #1 and #2 in Serena and Vika, and then loses them…well, that’s a bummer. Speaking of Petra, she beat another of my favorites Ana Ivanovic, 7-5 7-6 (1). It’s really too bad that Ana drew Petra so early in the tournament, but that’s how the draw goes. I give Ivanovic credit for pushing Kvitova. And also speaking of Caroline, she just blew away Zheng Jie 6-0 6-1. This is a real opportunity for Caro. There is nobody left in this tournament that she can’t beat if she’s at her best. I am not calling her the favorite. At this point, I’d say Agnieszka Radwanska is the favorite. All I am saying is that Caro’s chances to win greatly improved, as did everybody else’s, with the withdrawals of Vika and Serena.

2nd Round – Completed
	1	2	3
C. Suarez Navarro	1	0
N. Petrova  «	6	6

2nd Round – Completed
	1	2	3
A. Radwanska #3  «	7	6
Y. Putintseva	5	3

2nd Round – Completed
	1	2	3
S. Stosur #7  «	6	6
S. Hsieh	4	0

2nd Round – Completed
	1	2	3
A. Kerber #4	5	1
R. Vinci  «	7	6

2nd Round – Completed
	1	2	3
C. Wozniacki #8  «	6	6
J. Zheng	0	1

2nd Round – Completed
	1	2	3
P. Kvitova #6  «	7	7(7)
A. Ivanovic	5	6(1)

2nd Round – Completed
	1	2	3
S. Errani #5  «	6	6
S. Cirstea	4	4

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CAROLINE WOZNIACKI

with Diego Maradona

PETRA KVITOVA

AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA

NADIA PETROVA

SAMANTHA STOSUR

SARA ERRANI

YULIA PUTINTSEVA

ANA IVANOVIC

ZHENG JIE

SORANA CIRSTEA

DIEGO MARADONA