This will be interesting! Victoria Azarenka has a perfect 20-0 win-loss record in 2012 and is the only player who managed to defeat Agnieszka Radwanska this year. Azarenka beat Radwanska three times in the past two months – in Sydney and Doha semifinals and Australian Open quarterfinals. Their last encounter, the one in Doha, caused quite a stir of emotions, as Radwanska accused Azarenka of exaggerating her injury in order to distract her and win the match. Every once in a while there were additional comments by both players, and although they are still on good terms, their relationship is far from perfect, as Radwanska kind deny losing respect for her friend.

To advance to the quarterfinals of Indian Wells, the top-seeded Azarenka thrashed Julia Goerges 6-3 6-1, while the fifth-seeded Radwanska moved on when her opponent, wildcard Jamie Hampton, retired with cramping at 6-3 4-6 3-0. It's an unfortunate ending for Hampton's Indian Wells success, which included victories over Polona Hercog, Jelena Jankovic and Jarmila Gajdosova, plus a win of the second set against Radwanska. (photos: Johan Rivera, follow him on Twitter @HobbiesPlus)

"I guess it's one of those days you just come on the court and the legs don't go, the reactions are not there," said JJ.

The last tournament the 12-time WTA titlist Jelena Jankovic won was Indian Wells in 2010, and the fact that she was coming off back-to-back semifinals in Dubai and Kuala Lumpur, made us expect more from her, but the Serb lost her opening match to 99th-ranked Jamie Hampton in straight sets.

The young American wildcard, who has for the first time moved into the Top 100 this week, defeated the 12th-seeded Jankovic 6-4 6-3, surpassing what was just a match before her career-best victory, the 6-0 6-1 upset of world No.38 Polona Hercog in the first round of Indian Wells.

World No.1 Victoria Azarenka was on the verge of extinction, but survived Mona Barthel’s winning streak (ten out of 12 games won from 4-6 1-5), the German’s 4-1 lead in the third set and two times when she was serving for the match, to eventually win 6-4 6-7(4) 7-6(6) after three hours, despite actually winning overall one point less than her opponent. Azarenka has thus kept her 2012 win-loss record intact, 18-0.

Two-time Indian Wells champion Daniela Hantuchova, seed No.19 this year, lost to Klara Zakopalova 6-3 6-7(7) 6-3 after a grueling match that also lasted three hours. This is the Slovakian’s third straight exit from Indian Wells in her opening match. (photo: Johan Rivera, follow him on Twitter @HobbiesPlus)

In an interview after her Dubai quarterfinal win, Agnieszka Radwanska made it public that she "lost a lot of respect" for world No.1 Victoria Azarenka, because the Belarusian allegedly exaggerated her ankle injury pain during her semifinal victory in Doha. Radwanska spoke her mind when asked about the cold handshake in her Doha loss to Azarenka, in which Azarenka sprained her ankle in the second set and eventually won, despite limping and looking on the verge of retirement.

I think after this match (in Doha) [I] just lost a lot of respect. If you do this in the match, if anyone didn’t see the match, I think it’s just a quick look on YouTube and you’ll know what was going on. I was angry because I don’t think this is the great image for the women’s tennis, what was going on there.

Here's the YouTube video. The handshake is in the last minute of the clip.

(via Beyond the Baseline)

World No.1 Victoria Azarenka hurt her ankle in the semifinals en route to her last week's Doha title, and the injury's response was a big question mark for this week's Dubai tournament. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the Belarusian eventually realized she can't play the Premier-level Dubai event and withdrew prior to her opening match. She said she took a lot of painkillers, but nothing could help, as she had to adjust her movements which compromised other parts of her body. She now plans to go to Belarus and spend time with her family.

With Petra Kvitova also out due to illness, defending champion Caroline Wozniacki is the highest seed left in the tournament. The Dane topped her second round opponent Simona Halep 6-2 6-3 and will next play Ana Ivanovic, who defeated Maria Kirilenko 6-2 7-6(4). Other quarterfinal pairs include Julia Goerges vs. Daniela Hantuchova, Jelena Jankovic vs. Samantha Stosur and Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Sabine Lisicki. (photo: Johan Rivera, follow him on Twitter @HobbiesPlus)

World No.1 Victoria Azarenka humbled world No.5 Samantha Stosur in the Qatar Total Open final and won her 11th career title and her third in 2012 even though it's only mid-February. Azarenka has remained undefeated this season with her 17th consecutive match win, after her perfect showings in Sydney and the Australian Open.

It seemed that the left angle injury sustained yesterday in the semi against Agnieszka Radwanska didn't bother Azarenka, as she dominated the Premier-level final 6-1 6-2. Of the first ten games of the match, Stosur won only one. Moreover, Stosur didn't earn even a single opportunity to break Azarenka's serve.

It was an absolutely straightforward victory for Azarenka, which is quite a disappointment considering that the match featured two Top 5 players. Although Stosur has fell to 3-11 in WTA finals, the campaign at the Doha tournament is a success for Stosur after her very unsatisfactory Australian swing.

To make the victory even bigger for Azarenka, she hasn't dropped a set whole week and lost just 18 games en route to the title. (photo: Johan Rivera, follow him on Twitter @HobbiesPlus)