Sharapova crushes Hamption to advance to round 3

No. 4 seed, former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova of Russia completely crushed No. 144 ranked Jamie Hampton of the USA on Thursday in Melbourne, to advance to round three of the 2012 Australian Open.

The match lasted just 64 minutes, and Sharapova allowed Hampton only one game, taking the match 6-0, 6-1.

It was Sharapova’s first event of the season because of a lingering ankle injury.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova won the Australian Open in 2008.

She will next face German Angelique Kerber, who defeated Canada’s Stephanie Dubois 7-5, 6-1.

Serena Williams wins easily in Melbourne

No. 13 seed, Serena Williams of the USA, had a relatively easy win over No. 44 ranked, Tamira Paszek of Austria in the 1st round of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Tuesday.

After an uneven start, the 30-year-old former No. 1, Williams, won the last 5 games of the match, serving 4 aces to win one of those games, and served up 12 aces in the match.

Williams’ participation in this year’s event had appeared in doubt after she injured her ankle in Brisbane two weeks ago but she moved well throughout the match and did not appear hampered by the injury.

Cirstea takes Stosur out in 1st round at Australian Open

Unseeded No. 59 ranked Sorana Cirstea of Romania pulled off a big shocker over No. 6 seed Samantha Stosur of Australia with a straight sets win, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 in the first round of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park.

It took only 91 minutes for the Romanian to pull off the huge upset at Stosur’s home Grand Slam. It was the earliest exit for Stosur at the Australian Open since 2005, and continues her miserable showing at Melbourne. In 10 visits, the 27-year-old Stosur has managed just 14 wins and she’s only twice progressed beyond the third round.

Azarenka wins WTA Apia International

No. 3 ranked, Victoria Azarenka of Belarus defeated No. 5 ranked Na Li of China in the final of the WTA Apia International played in Sydney, Australia on Friday.

Azarenka overcame a second-set lapse in the Australian warm-up tournament for a 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 win over last year’s champion Li.

After staying on serve until 4-3 in the deciding set, Azarenka broke Li for a chance to serve out the match, saving two break points in the process.

Wozniacki upset by Radwanska, could lose No. 1 ranking

World No. 1, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, was upset on Wednesday in a quarterfinal match at the 2012 WTA Apia International Sydney tournament by No. 7 seed, Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland.

Wozniacki had a chance to serve out the match at 5-4 in the second set, but was broken, then lost four straight games leading to a 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 defeat. In that final set, the 21-year-old Dane underwent multiple treatments on her left wrist.

Petkovic and Venus Williams withdraw from Australian Open

With the 2012 Australian Open just around the corner, the tournament withdrawals are mounting. Today, the No. 10 seed, Andrea Petkovic of Germany withdrew with a stress fracture in her lower back. The injury could keep her sidelined for two months.

Petkovic lost 7-5, 6-4 to Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in a second-round match at the Sydney International on Tuesday. She needed an injury time-out during the match to receive treatment from a trainer.

Safina contradicts retirement talk

Former World No. 1, Dinara Safina of Russia, says she has not made a final decision on her tennis future, contradicting her brother’s announcement that she had retired.

Safina told her followers on Twitter that she hasn’t made any official announcement and asks her fans to please give her some time and she’ll let everyone know.

Her brother, Marat Safin, said earlier that his younger sister had decided to quit the sport at 25 years old because of chronic back pain.

Safina has been on an indefinite break from tennis since May after two years of back problems.

Clijsters works through rehab, plans for 2012 season

Australian Open defending champion, Kim Clijsters, is planning to try to defend her title in Melbourne in 2012.

Clijsters has not played much since winning her first Australian Open title last January. She has been hampered by foot, shoulder and abdominal injuries. She dropped out of the top 10 this week, marking the first time since May 2007 that Clijsters, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams were not in the top 10.

Clijsters is back on the practice courts preparing to play in an exhibition in Belgium in December, trying to get on track for the 2012 season. Clijsters wrote in her blog on Tuesday:

Dinara Safina’s career appears to be over

Former World No. 1, Dinara Safina of Russia, appears to be calling it quits for her tennis career, according to her older brother, Marat Safin.

“Dinara was injured two years ago, in Beijing, remember?” Safin was quoted by Russian Eurosport as saying at a press conference in Beijing, where he was promoting a match against Pete Sampras. “She left, but never recovered completely. She tried to return, but only aggravated the crisis. Now she needs to keep her back to be able to walk normally and live a normal life. [Her back] will continue to be treated, but she will play no more…She will make an official statement herself, but as her brother, I believe that there is no chance of return.”

Serena Williams withdraws unexpectedly from China Open

The former World No. 1, Serena Williams of the USA, and 2011 U.S. Open runner-up has pulled out of the China Open for a second year in a row.

Serena was scheduled to play in Beijing, but the tournament website said the American star failed to show up on Friday, the day she was due to arrive.