MADRID: Top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska and Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber were upset in the opening round of the Madrid Masters on Sunday in major setbacks ahead of Roland Garros.

Poland’s Radwanska, the number one seed in the absence of Serena Williams, lost 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3 to the rejuvenated Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia.

Radwanska hit five aces but also had six double-faults and was broken 11 times by Cibulkova.

Cibulkova will next meet Caroline Garcia, who was leading 6-4, 2-1 when Johanna Konta retired from their match.

Second-seeded German Kerber was dumped out by the Czech Republic’s Barbora Strycova 6-4, 6-2 with her defeat coming just a week after she had retained her title in Stuttgart.

The 33rd-ranked Strycova faces Madison Keys, who rallied past fellow American Alison Riske 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Losses for Radwanska and Kerber mean Garbine Muguruza is the highest seed left at the key clay-court event and the Spaniard sealed her place in round two with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Anna Schmiedlova.

Defending champion Petra Kvitova, seeded fifth, eased past Lara Arruabarrena 6-3, 6-2, and fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka defeated Laura Robson 6-4, 6-2.

Sixth-seeded Romanian Simona Halep downed Japan’s Misaki Doi 6-0, 6-3, and eighth-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro had a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over Timea Babos.

US Open finalist Roberta Vinci, the seventh seed, is out after losing in straight sets to Montenegrin Danka Kovinic 6-4, 6-2.

German Laura Siegemund continued her great start to the clay season after reaching the Stuttgart final as a qualifier as she dumped out ninth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-0, 3-6, 6-3.

Ana Ivanovic had to go the distance to see off Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, while there was also a notable win for Swiss 10th seed Timea Bacsinszky who saw off Germany’s Andrea Petkovic 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 despite only arriving in Spain at midnight having won the Rabat title on Saturday.

Results:

Women’s:

First round: Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) bt Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x1) 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3; Caroline Garcia (FRA) bt Johanna Konta (GBR) 6-4, 2-1 – retired; Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) bt Lesya Tsurenko (UKR) 6-2, 6-1; Laura Siegemund (GER) bt Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x9) 6-0, 3-6, 6-3; Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) bt Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 6-2, 6-3; Sorana Cirstea (ROM) bt Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 6-4, 6-3; Danka Kovinic (MNE) bt Roberta Vinci (ITA x7) 6-4, 6-2; Victoria Azarenka (BLR x4) bt Laura Robson (GBR) 6-4, 6-2; Louisa Chirico (USA) bt Monica Niculescu (ROM) 7-5, 6-1; Ana Ivanovic (SRB x14) bt Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4; Daria Gavrilova (AUS) bt Heather Watson (GBR) 7-5, 6-4; Elena Vesnina (RUS) bt Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) 7-5, 6-0; Petra Kvitova (CZE x5) bt Lara Arruabarrena (ESP) 6-3, 6-2; Simona Halep (ROM x6) bt Misaki Doi (JPN) 6-0, 6-3; Karin Knapp (ITA) bt Margarita Gasparyan (RUS) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; Timea Bacsinszky (SUI x10) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER) 6-4, 2-6, 6-3; Karolmna Plmskova (CZE x13) bt Lourdes Dommnguez (ESP) 6-2, 6-1; Irina Begu (ROM) bt Euginie Bouchard (CAN) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; Garbiqe Muguruza (ESP x3) bt Anna Karolmna Schmiedlova (SVK) 6-2, 7-5; Carla Suarez (ESP x8) bt Tmmea Babos (HUN) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3; Sabine Lisicki (GER) bt Msnica Puig (PUR) 6-1, 6-3; Samantha Stosur (AUS) bt Sara Sorribes (ESP) 6-1, 6-3; Lucie Safarova (CZE x11) bt Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 7-6 (7/4), 6-1; Patricia Tig (ROM) bt Darya Kasatkina (RUS) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2; Madison Keys (USA) bt Alison Riske (USA) 1-6, 6-3, 6-4; Barbora Str}cova (CZE) bt Angelique Kerber (GER x2) 6-4, 6-2.

Men’s:

First round: Aleksandr Dolgopolov (UKR) bt Steve Johnson (USA) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3); Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Juan Monaco (ARG) 7-5, 7-6 (7/3).

Published in Dawn, May 3rd , 2016