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MADRID: Serena Williams staged a recovery at the expense ofCaroline Wozniacki as the American reached the quarter-finals ofthe Madrid Masters 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday in a battle of formernumber one players. The comeback win in 1hr 42min put Williams into a showdown withsecond seed Maria Sharapova, who earned her last-eight place whenopponent Lucie Safarova withdrew before their match with stomachillness. Williams sleep-walked through the opening set as Denmark's sixthseed had it all her own way in half an hour. "I had a slow start today, I don't know why," said Williams. "I wassluggish and mentally maybe fighting some demons. "I started trying to play better, the first set was not me at all.I knew I had to get better. I just tried to play my game." After trailing a set and 1-2, the momentum suddenly shifted inWilliams' favour, with the ninth seed breaking for 3-2 with abackhand down the line and finishing a run of a dozen points insuccession to lead 4-2. Williams, the 2009 runner-up to Dinara Safina, levelled at a seteach and ran off with the third to end with four breaks of serve ina disheartening loss for Wozniacki. Wozniacki had been bidding for a sixth quarter-final of the seasonbut, having won six titles in 2011, she is still searching for herfirst of 2012. The Dane rolled her ankle earlier in the week but said that was nota problem in her loss. "It is feeling better, which is a huge plus. I can take a lot ofpositives from this match into the French Open," she said. "I believe in myself, the confidence is there. I can beat anyone ona good day." Williams has now won ten straight matches and has claimed the lastsix when facing Sharapova, the world number two and recentStuttgart champion. Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska advanced over Italy'sRoberta Vinci 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 while Lucie Hradecka beat ElenaMakarova of Russia 6-2, 7-6 (7/5). In the men's third round on the blue clay of the Caja Magica, Czechsixth seed Tomas Berdych ended the injury comeback effort ofFrenchman Gael Monfils, the number 12, with a comprehensive 6-1,6-1 victory. Monfils was playing for the first time since a March abdominalmuscle problem. The flamboyant French player lost serve five timeswhile never earning a break point against Berdych. - AFP/de. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as China Custom Hooded Sweatshirts , China Sublimated Sportswear for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Sublimated Cycling Wear.
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