China’s Peng Shuai and former world No.1 Ana Ivanovic both won in straight sets on Wednesday to reach the round-of-16 at the Mercury Insurance Open, while Germany’s Julia Goerges was a surprise casualty.
Peng won 6-1, 6-3 against Australia’s Anastasia Rodionova to set up a clash with Italy’s Sara Errani, while Serbia’s Ivanovic beat Japan’s Ayumi Morita 6-1, 7-6 (5) and will next face another Italian, Alberta Brianti.
The shock of the day was provided by American teenager Sloane Stephens, who upset No. 7 seed Goerges 6-3, 7-5 despite a potentially costly and embarrassing mistake.
Stephens, 18, beat her German opponent with a steady ground game and won despite squandering a set point when she allowed a ball that was going out to hit her in the back.
“I knew definitely she is an awesome player,” Stephens said. “But today wasn’t her best day. I’m happy I got her on this day. But everyone has their days and today wasn’t hers. I guess it was mine.”
No. 11 seed Maria Kirilenko of Russia withdrew from the tournament with a left hip injury before her second round match against Romania’s Tamira Paszek. Stephens will face Paszek in the next round.
Ivanovic, after winning the first set easily, lost the first five games of the second set before reeling off five consecutive games herself and forcing the tiebreaker. Her next opponent Brianti also had a topsy-turvy match, being blanked in the first set before edging Sweden’s Sofia Arvidsson 0-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (7).
Eighth-seeded Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia won her first match 6-1, 6-3 over Barbara Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic to set up a meeting with Zheng Jie of China, who upset No. 9 seed Roberta Vinci of Italy, 6-4, 6-2.
The No. 16 seed Polona Hercog of Slovenia lost 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 to Russia’s Vera Dushevina, whose next challenge will be top-seeded Vera Zvonareva.
Stephens’ previous biggest win was over then-No. 67 Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic last season at Indian Wells. Wednesday’s result allowed her to laugh at the set point she gave away when Goerges hit a ball long, but Stephens inexplicably allowed the ball to hit her in the back.
“That was so embarrassing. I don’t know what happened,” Stephen said. “I was watching it; I tried to get out of the way. ... That’s never really ever happened to me before. It was embarrassing, it was funny, it was childish, something an 18-year-old would do.”
“If you saw me play last week, it’s not so frustrating,” Goerges said. “It’s been a big improvement. I am trying to play my game and I am going for it the whole match. It is not working out right now, but it’s the right way to come back.”
