Fifth seed Samantha Stosur became the highest-seeded casualty of Wimbledon 2012 so far, continuing her poor record at the tournament, while Caroline Wozniacki suffered a surprise loss to Tamira Paszek in terms of ranking, but not as much of a surprise since Paszek won the grasscourt Eastbourne over the weekend.

Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam where Stosur has a negative record, as she has never been beyond the third round in nine appearances, and this year is no exception thanks to Arantxa Rus. The 21-year-old Rus made headlines at this year's Roland Garros by reaching the fourth round, beating Virginie Razzano (Serena Williams' famous conqueror) and then Julia Goerges. This time, Rus won six games in a row to win the first set against Stosur, and despite suffering a bagel in the following set, she quickly went up in the third and prevented Stosur from coming back to eventually win the second-round match 6-2 0-6 6-4.

The seventh-seeded Caroline Wozniacki lost in the first round already and it is the first time in her career that she loses a Wimbledon opener, while the last three times she played the fourth round. Tamira Paszek came out on top in the rain-interrupted match and won 5-7 7-6(4) 6-4 after saving two match points in the second set. Remember that Paszek saved five match points in the Eastbourne final against Angelique Kerber?

I'd also like to mention that third seed Agnieszka Radwanska progressed to the third round without hitting even one unforced error in her 6-2 6-1 victory over Elena Vesnina. (photo: © Neal Trousdale)

Two most recent Wimbledon champions Petra Kvitova and Serena Williams both moved into the second round at this year's grasscourt Grand Slam with straight-set victories.

Defending a Grand Slam title for the first time, Petra Kvitova made a nervous start in her first-round match at Wimbledon 2012, but she overcame an initial 4-1 deficit to eventually cruise past Akgul Amanmuradova 6-4 6-4 on Centre Court. Trailing 4-1, Kvitova saved two break points to prevent being two breaks down and won five games in a row to take the first set. The second set was more straightforward, despite the short rain delay towards the end of the match.

Playing on the same court where her five-time Wimbledon champion sister Venus exited yesterday to Elena Vesnina, Serena Williams left behind her first ever first-round Grand Slam loss suffered last month at Roland Garros and advanced to the second round of Wimbledon with a 6-2 6-4 victory over Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, who is now 0-21 lifetime against Top 10 players.

Williams, the 2002, 2003, 2009 and 2010 Wimbledon champion, will next play Melina Czink, while Kvitova will face Elena Baltacha. (photo: © Neal Trousdale)

The last two tournaments before Wimbledon are over and we have Tamira Paszek and Nadia Petrova lifting trophies.

Paszek crowned a dream week at the AEGON International with her first Premier-level title. The Austrian came to the tournament with a 2-13 record this year, but she improved it well by defeating Marina Erakovic, Daniela Hantuchova and Tsvetana Pironkova, then world No.9 and defending champion Marion Bartoli, coming back from 6-4 4-0 down, and now in the final against world No.8 Angelique Kerber, the WTA's match win leader in 2012, Paszek saved match points to become a surprise winner of Eastbourne.

In the third set Paszek was 5-3 down and had five match points against her, but she survived to win the match 5-7 6-3 7-5.

At the Unicef Open, Nadia Petrova defeated first-time finalist Urszula Radwanska for her 11th WTA title and the first one on grass. The eighth-seeded Petrova didn't lose a set all week, beating Kiki Bertens, Anabel Medina Garrigues, Dominika Cibulkova, Kirsten Flipkens, and finally Radwanska 6-4 6-3. (photo: © Neal Trousdale)

Kim Clijsters returned to competitive tennis this week, after a three-month hip injury layoff, and she imposed herself as a big threat for the upcoming Wimbledon by reaching the semifinals of the Unicef Open. However, just hours before her match with Urszula Radwanska, Clijsters preventively withdrew with a stomach muscle strain. The Belgian is sure, though, that she will play Wimbledon, the last one of her career.

At the tournament in Eastbourne, Tamira Paszek reached her first Premier-level final, while world No.8 Angelique Kerber recorded her 40th win in 2012, the most of any other player, to reach the title match. Paszek came to Eastbourne with 11 first-round losses this year and in the semifinal against fourth seed and defending champion Marion Bartoli she fought back from losing the first set and trailing 0-4 in the second and 0-2 in the third. Kerber cruised past Klara Zakopalova for a 6-0 6-3 win. (source: WTA Tour, photo: © Neal Trousdale)

Angelique Kerber defeated Ekaterina Makarova at the AEGON International 6-2 6-4 and reached her first semifinal on grass while becoming a leader in match wins in 2012. At the other tournament of the week, Kim Clijsters is reaffirming her comeback by reaching the semifinals of the Unicef Open.

Yesterday Kerber recorded her 38th match win of the year, tying world No.2 Victoria Azarenka and world No.3 Agnieszka Radwanska, but today she took the lead with 39 wins and will play her seventh semifinal of the season having Klara Zakopalova on the other side of the court.

Defending champion at the AEGON International is Marion Bartoli and she's also through to the semis where she'll face Tamira Paszek, who will be playing her first Premier-level semifinal.

Elsewhere, at the Unicef Open, after easing past Kateryna Bondarenko in the second round, Kim Clijsters defeated Francesca Schiavone 6-3 7-6(7) in the quarterfinals. Playing her first event since March, Clijsters increased her record against Schiavone to 12-0. In the previous rounds at the tournament, Schiavone came back from 5-3 down in the third set against Maria Kirilenko and against Irina-Camelia Begu she fought off eight match points. Clijsters will face qualifier Urszula Radwanska in the semis. (photos: © Neal Trousdale)