16 March 2010 / REUTERS/AP, INDIAN WELLS, CALIF.
Former champion and 10th seed Maria Sharapova of Russia was knocked out of the Indian Wells WTA tournament on Sunday, losing an error-strewn marathon to China’s Zheng Jie 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.
While Sharapova made a premature exit, it was plain sailing for second-seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki, who hammered Russian Maria Kirilenko 6-0, 6-3, and fourth seed Elena Dementieva of Russia, who eased past Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium 6-4, 6-2. Zheng, a surprise semifinalist at the Australian Open in January, broke Sharapova three times in the final set before clinching victory in a little under three hours with a searing forehand winner that clipped the baseline. The 26-year-old Chinese, seeded 18th, punched her right fist in delight after booking a place in the fourth round against Australian wildcard Alicia Molik, a 6-0 6-2 winner over British qualifier Elena Baltacha. Earlier, fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland swept aside 31st-seeded Argentine Gisela Dulko 6-1, 6-0 and 11th seeded Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli crushed American Jill Craybas 6-2, 6-0.
