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Melbourne, Australia (SportsNetwork. Shane Lechler Jersey .com) - Top seed and five-time titlist Serena Williams and last years runner-up Li Na both notched straight-set victories Wednesday in second-round action at the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam event of the year. Serena dropped just three games for the second straight match, earning a 6-1, 6-2 win over Serb Vesna Dolonc at Rod Laver Arena to improve to 60-8 at Melbourne Park, equaling Margaret Courts record for match wins at the tournament in the Open Era. Wednesday was another scorching hot day in Melbourne. "I just try to hit a bunch of aces and a bunch of winners -- thats all you can do because its too hot to get into long rallies," Serena said. The reigning U.S. and French Open champion will square off with Daniela Hantuchova in the third round after the 31st-seeded Slovak outlasted Czech Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 3-6, 12-10. The fourth-seeded Li, who lost to two-time reigning champion Victoria Azarenka in last years Aussie finale, bageled Belinda Bencic in a 22-minute first set, but faced much more resistance in the second as the 16-year-old Swiss wild card forced a tiebreak. The Chinese star, however, was able to gut out a 6-0, 7-6 (7-5) victory. "Its warm, but its OK," Li said after the match. Lucie Safarova awaits the two-time Aussie Open runner-up and former French Open champion Li in the third round after the 26th-seeded Czech claimed a 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-0 victory over countrymate Lucie Hradecka. Last weeks Sydney runner-up, ninth-seeded German Angelique Kerber, cruised to a 6-4, 6-2 win over Russian Alla Kudryavtseva and will take on American Alison Riske in the third round after Riske whipped Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-1, 6-1. Aussie crowd favorite Sam Stosur, the No. 17 seed, secured her spot in the round of 32 with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova, who was fresh off her first-ever WTA title in Sydney last week. Stosur will next face 14th-seeded Ana Ivanovic after the former world No. 1 from Serbia drilled Annika Beck of Germany 6-1, 6-2. Ivanovic was an Aussie Open finalist in 2008. No. 15 seed Sabine Lisicki and 18th-seeded Kirsten Flipkens each suffered surprising setbacks on Day 3. Romanian Monica Niculescu sent last years Wimbledon runner-up Lisicki to an early exit, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2, while Aussie wild card Casey Dellacqua downed the Belgian Flipkens 6-3, 6-0. Next up for Niculescu will be Russian Ekaterina Makarova, who advanced with a 6-2, 7-5 triumph over American Irina Falconi. The 22nd-seeded Makarova dismissed seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams in Mondays opening-round action. No. 28 seed Flavia Pennetta of Italy posted a 6-3, 6-4 decision against Puerto Rican Monica Puig to set up a third-round matchup with German Mona Barthel, who overcame Thailands Luksika Kumkhum 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Kumkhum was coming off an upset win over sixth-seeded Petra Kvitova in round one. Also on Wednesday, 30th-seeded Canadian Eugenie Bouchard registered a hard- fought 6-2, 7-6 (12-10) victory over Frances Virginie Razzano, Chinese Zheng Jie moved on with a 7-6 (7-5), 1-6, 7-5 win over American Madison Keys and American Lauren Davis outlasted German Julia Goerges 7-5, 2-6, 6-4. The second round will conclude on Thursday, including matches for the second- seeded Azarenka and her third-seeded fellow former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova. Azarenka will face Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, while Sharapova will take on Italian Karin Knapp. Azarenka hasnt lost in Melbourne since 2011, having bested Li in last years Aussie final and defeating Sharapova in the 2012 finale. Sharapova titled here in 2008. In other action involving top-10 seeds, No. 5 former Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska will battle Belarusian Olga Govortsova, No. 8 former world No. 1 and former U.S. Open runner-up Jelena Jankovic will trade shots with Japans Ayumi Morita and No. 10 former top-ranked star and former U.S. Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki will be opposed by American Christina McHale. Also seeing action on Thursday will be 11th-seeded Simona Halep and 13th- seeded American Sloane Stephens, who stunned Serena in a quarterfinal here a year ago. Jared Crick Youth Jersey . Neureuther beat Fritz Dopfer for a German 1-2 finish, and overtook Marcel Hirscher on top of the slalom standings by five points with one race remaining. On his way to Munich airport for his flight to Sochi on Feb. Duane Brown Jersey . Brandon Triche added 16 points, seven rebounds and two steals for the Orange (17-0, 4-0 Big East), who started 18-0 last season before dropping their first game. C.J. Fair donated 13 points and eight boards for Syracuse, which got 12 points and seven assists from Dion Waiters. HOUSTON -- In at least one category, Dallas Keuchel is Clayton Kershaws equal. For at least one three-game series, Houston was better than Oakland. Keuchel pitched a four-hitter and Robbie Grossman homered to cap a six-run first inning that sent the Astros past the Athletics 8-1 Wednesday. Keuchel (10-7) pitched his fourth complete game of the season, tying Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw for the major league lead. And the Astros, 20 games under .500, won the series from the AL West-leading Athletics. "(The As) do a lot of things well," Keuchel said. "To get a complete game and get a win is something special in its own right." Marc Krauss beat out Oaklands try for a double play in the first, and the Astros went on to match a season high for runs in an inning. Keuchel struck out five and walked three. Manager Bo Porter lauded Keuchels "plus-command" and willingness to use his secondary pitches. As he mixed his pitches up, Kuechel kept he As guessing and forcing the type of contact that can make for a good day. Josh Donaldson hit his 23rd homer for Oaklands only run. Jason Hammel (0-4) remained winless in four starts since the As acquired him with pitcher Jeff Samardzija from the Cubs earlier this month. Hammel was 8-5 before the trade. Krauss hustled for an RBI grounder that kept the first inning going. After Jonathan Singleton walked, Matt Dominguez singled home a run, and another scored when centre fielder Billy Burns bobbled the ball. "Ill tell you, I think the biggest play of the game was Jason Castro going hard into second base and Marc Krauss absolutely giving the effort in which he gave getting down the line," PPorter said. Justin Tuggle Youth Jersey. "Thats the way the game is supposed to be played. To both of those guys credit, they did a tremendous job in that situation." Carlos Corporan added an RBI single and Grossman, a late addition for the ill Chris Carter, homered into the right-field seats. Hammels day ended in the fifth when Singleton hit his eighth home run. "He had trouble getting the ball down again and in the next couple of innings when he got the ball down he was effective," As manager Bob Melvin said. "Thats where the movement takes over, the downhill plane and everything that makes him successful. And he had a tough time finishing guys off when he was ahead." TRAINERS ROOM Athletics: Outfielder Coco Crisp missed his fourth game in a row with a neck strain. Melvin said the club will know more about his condition when it returns home, but said Crisp wouldnt play Friday. Astros: Reliever Josh Zeid is scheduled to have surgeries on both feet in the next six weeks that will end his 2014 season. Carter was out with a stomach illness. ALTUVE EXTENDS STREAK, CESPEDES ENDS With his line drive single in the sixth inning Jose Altuve ran his hitting streak to 12 games tying his season high. Yoenis Cespedes was unable to continue his streak of games with an RBI, going 0 for 4 and ending his run six. DONALDSON PUNISHES ASTROS Donaldsons second inning home run was his fifth against the Astros this season. . ON DECK Athletics: Following an off-day Thursday, the As will start Sonny Gray at home against Kansas City. He will go for his 13th win and build on his 2.65 ERA Astros: Jarred Cosart (9-7, 4.41) will start Friday night at home against Toronto. cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
