Second-round action at the Toray Pan Pacific Open came to a close on Tuesday and the biggest surprise was the upset of top seed Victoria Azarenka by Venus Willliams in two sets 6-2 6-4 in one hour and 21 minutes. Azarenka stated later that she wasn’t feeling well and one can’t play at 20 percent against one of the world’s best players. This was their third time facing each other and all three times Williams won the matches in straight sets. Venus Williams will meet seed No.13 Simona Halep in the third round. They’ve met twice so far, in Rome and in Madrid in 2012, and both times Williams won.
Azarenka was not the only seed thrown out. Earlier in the day, third seed Sara Errani was stunned by Svetlana Kuznetsova in an hour and a half, 6-4 6-4. Errani just couldn’t top the 27th-ranked Kuznetsova, who scored 7 aces to Errani’s zero and converted two more break points than her opponent. Other seeds who were eliminated today include seed No.9 Sloane Stephens, who was beaten by Eugenie Bouchard 5-7 7-6(7) 6-3, and seed No.14 Kirsten Flipkens, who was thrown out in just one hour and 5 minutes by Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakiaf 6-2 6-3.
In other second-round matches, thirteenth seed Simona Halep eliminated Anderea Petkovic of Germany 7-6(4) 6-3, sixth seed Jelena Jankovic defeated Ayumi Morita, second seed Agnieszka Radwanska beat Alexandra Wozniak in one hour and 35 minutes with a tiebreak and a bagel, 7-6(5) 6-0, fourth seed Caroline Wozniacki eliminated Flavia Pennetta 6-2 6-3, seed No.16 Dominika Ciblulkova threw out Casey Dellacqua 7-5 6-3, seed No.15 Sorana Cirstea defeated Misaki Doi 6-1 6-2, seed No.11 Ana Ivanovic defeated Elina Svitolina 6-3 6-0 in an astounding 53 minutes, Madison Kays eliminated Peng Shuai 7-5 6-2 and the twelfth-seeded Samantha Stosur threw out Japan’s No.1 Kimiko Date-Krumm in one hour and 44 minutes 6-3 7-6(2). (photo: © Neal Trousdale)
