(2) Sharapova d. (13) Ivanovic, 7-6 (4), 6-3  —Richard Pagliaro's Racquet Reaction
(4) Kvitova d. Cirstea, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2  
V. Williams d. (5) Stosur, 6-4, 6-3  —Richard Pagliaro's Racquet Reaction
(8) Li d. Scheepers, 7-6 (3), 6-2  
(9) S. Williams d. Medina Garrigues, 6-3, 6-1  
(12) Kerber d. Goerges, 6-4, 6-1  
Pennetta d. Cetkovska, 6-0, 6-1  

Friday's Order of Play (Quarterfinals)

(9) S. Williams v. Pennetta [Centrale]

—6 am EST.  

(4) Kvitova d. (12) Kerber [Centrale]

—Not before 1:20 pm EST.
 

—Current form favors Kerber, who has won two titles this year and seven of her last nine clay-court matches. Kvitova has slumped since her run to the Australian Open semifinals, but she is the more complete, imposing player, she beat Kerber last month in Stuttgart, and if she can tame her recent wild streak, the Wimbledon winner should win this battle of left handers.

The Pick: Kvitova

(8) Li d. (14) Cibulkova [Supertennis]

—To follow one men's singles match, which begins at 6 am EST.
 

—Both women like to straddle the baseline and sting flat shots into the corners. In their only prior meeting on dirt, Li won two years ago in Madrid, 7-5 in the third. The Roland Garros champion can serve bigger, should handle the pace she’s sure to receive from Cibulkova, and is the pick to reach her second straight Rome semifinal.

The Pick: Li

(2) Sharapova v. V. Williams [Supertennis Arena]

—Not before 9 am EST.
 

—The reigning champion played with grit and guts against Ana Ivanovic, saving six set points, while Venus reeled off five consecutive games in sweeping Samantha Stosur. The second-seeded Sharapova has won 19 of her last 22 matches, including the Stuttgart title, and is riding a seven-match Rome winning streak. Venus, the 1999 champion, is bidding for her seventh Rome semifinal. They’ve split six meetings in setting up this blockbuster (their first meeting in three years); the first strike will be crucial. While Sharapova is the steadier player, Venus’ superior speed and serve—if she’s landing it—give her the edge.

The Pick: Williams

TV Schedule

6:00 am - 12:00 pm: Rome (M), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Live)
1:30 pm - 3:30 pm: Rome (W), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Live)
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm: Rome (M), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Live)
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm: Rome (W), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Delay)
7:30 pm - 11:30 pm: Rome (M), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Repeat)
11:30 pm - 3:30 am: Rome (W), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Repeat)

Ivanovic led both sets, but couldn't lock them down in a straight-sets loss to Sharapova.

Thursday's Play (Third round)

(2) Sharapova d. (13) Ivanovic, 7-6 (4), 6-3	—Richard Pagliaro's Racquet Reaction
(4) Kvitova d. Cirstea, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2
V. Williams d. (5) Stosur, 6-4, 6-3	—Richard Pagliaro's Racquet Reaction
(8) Li d. Scheepers, 7-6 (3), 6-2
(9) S. Williams d. Medina Garrigues, 6-3, 6-1
(12) Kerber d. Goerges, 6-4, 6-1
Pennetta d. Cetkovska, 6-0, 6-1

Friday's Order of Play (Quarterfinals)

(9) S. Williams v. Pennetta [Centrale] —6 am EST.
(4) Kvitova d. (12) Kerber [Centrale] —Not before 1:20 pm EST.	—Current form favors Kerber, who has won two titles this year and seven of her last nine clay-court matches. Kvitova has slumped since her run to the Australian Open semifinals, but she is the more complete, imposing player, she beat Kerber last month in Stuttgart, and if she can tame her recent wild streak, the Wimbledon winner should win this battle of left handers. The Pick: Kvitova
(8) Li d. (14) Cibulkova [Supertennis] —To follow one men's singles match, which begins at 6 am EST.	—Both women like to straddle the baseline and sting flat shots into the corners. In their only prior meeting on dirt, Li won two years ago in Madrid, 7-5 in the third. The Roland Garros champion can serve bigger, should handle the pace she’s sure to receive from Cibulkova, and is the pick to reach her second straight Rome semifinal. The Pick: Li
(2) Sharapova v. V. Williams [Supertennis Arena] —Not before 9 am EST.	—The reigning champion played with grit and guts against Ana Ivanovic, saving six set points, while Venus reeled off five consecutive games in sweeping Samantha Stosur. The second-seeded Sharapova has won 19 of her last 22 matches, including the Stuttgart title, and is riding a seven-match Rome winning streak. Venus, the 1999 champion, is bidding for her seventh Rome semifinal. They’ve split six meetings in setting up this blockbuster (their first meeting in three years); the first strike will be crucial. While Sharapova is the steadier player, Venus’ superior speed and serve—if she’s landing it—give her the edge. The Pick: Williams

TV Schedule

6:00 am - 12:00 pm: Rome (M), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Live)
1:30 pm - 3:30 pm: Rome (W), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Live)
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm: Rome (M), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Live)
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm: Rome (W), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Delay)
7:30 pm - 11:30 pm: Rome (M), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Repeat)
11:30 pm - 3:30 am: Rome (W), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Repeat)

Venus' and Maria's last meeting, at Stanford in 2009.

(1) Djokovic d. (14) Monaco, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
 
—Dan Markowitz's Racquet Reaction

(2) Nadal d. Granollers, 6-1, 6-1
 

(3) Federer d. Ferrero, 6-2, 5-7, 6-1
 
—Ed McGrogan's Racquet Reaction

(16) Gasquet d. (4) Murray, 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-2
 
—Peter Bodo's Racquet Reaction

(5) Tsonga d. (10) Del Potro, 6-4, 6-1
 
—Steve Tignor's Racquet Reaction

(6) Ferrer d. (11) Simon, 6-0, 7-6 (5)
 

(7) Berdych d. (12) Almagro, 7-6 (3), 6-3
 

Seppi d. Wawrinka, 6-7 (1), 7-6 (6), 7-6 (6)
 

Friday's Order of Play (Quarterfinals)
 

(2) Nadal v. (7) Berdych [Centrale]

—Not before 7:30 am EST.
 

—A stylistic clash featuring five-time Rome champion Nadal’s topspin against Madrid finalist Berdych’s flat strokes. Remember that a flat-ball hitter—Robin Soderling—handed Nadal his lone French Open loss, and the explosive Berdych can force Nadal to defend. But Nadal has beaten Berdych 11 times in 14 meetings (3-0 on clay courts), plays with more margin, and figures to sustain his supremacy.
 
The Pick: Nadal
 

(1) Djokovic v. (5) Tsonga [Centrale]
 
—Not before 10 am EST.
 

—A rematch of the 2008 Australian Open final, which Djokovic won in four sets. But Tsonga has won five of their last eight matches and looked sharp in a surprising sweep of Juan Martin del Potro today. This is their first encounter on clay, and Djokovic’s superior movement and exceptional backhand give the reigning champion the edge.
 
The Pick: Djokovic
 

(3) Federer v. Seppi [Centrale]
 
—Not before 3:00 pm EST.
 

(6) Ferrer v. (16) Gasquet [Supertennis Arena]
 
—6 am EST.
 

—The flashy Frenchman saved 15 of 17 points in rallying for a three-hour win over Andy Murray. The dogged Ferrer hasn’t let Gasquet off the hook in the past—he’s won six of their seven meetings, losing just two sets in that span. Ferrer enjoys the advantage in forehand exchanges and will be happy to grind out physical rallies all day long.
 
The Pick: Ferrer
 

TV Schedule
 
6:00 am - 12:00 pm: Rome (M), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Live)
1:30 pm - 3:30 pm: Rome (W), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Live)
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm: Rome (M), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Live)
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm: Rome (W), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Delay)
7:30 pm - 11:30 pm: Rome (M), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Repeat)
11:30 pm - 3:30 am: Rome (W), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Repeat)

Richard Gasquet had the look of a winner on Thursday, defeating fourth-seeded Andy Murray.

Thursday's Play (Third round)

(1) Djokovic d. (14) Monaco, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3	—Dan Markowitz's Racquet Reaction
(2) Nadal d. Granollers, 6-1, 6-1
(3) Federer d. Ferrero, 6-2, 5-7, 6-1	—Ed McGrogan's Racquet Reaction
(16) Gasquet d. (4) Murray, 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-2	—Peter Bodo's Racquet Reaction
(5) Tsonga d. (10) Del Potro, 6-4, 6-1	—Steve Tignor's Racquet Reaction
(6) Ferrer d. (11) Simon, 6-0, 7-6 (5)
(7) Berdych d. (12) Almagro, 7-6 (3), 6-3
Seppi d. Wawrinka, 6-7 (1), 7-6 (6), 7-6 (6)

Friday's Order of Play (Quarterfinals)

(2) Nadal v. (7) Berdych [Centrale] —Not before 7:30 am EST.	—A stylistic clash featuring five-time Rome champion Nadal’s topspin against Madrid finalist Berdych’s flat strokes. Remember that a flat-ball hitter—Robin Soderling—handed Nadal his lone French Open loss, and the explosive Berdych can force Nadal to defend. But Nadal has beaten Berdych 11 times in 14 meetings (3-0 on clay courts), plays with more margin, and figures to sustain his supremacy. The Pick: Nadal
(1) Djokovic v. (5) Tsonga [Centrale] —Not before 10 am EST.	—A rematch of the 2008 Australian Open final, which Djokovic won in four sets. But Tsonga has won five of their last eight matches and looked sharp in a surprising sweep of Juan Martin del Potro today. This is their first encounter on clay, and Djokovic’s superior movement and exceptional backhand give the reigning champion the edge. The Pick: Djokovic
(3) Federer v. Seppi [Centrale] —Not before 3:00 pm EST.
(6) Ferrer v. (16) Gasquet [Supertennis Arena] —6 am EST.	—The flashy Frenchman saved 15 of 17 points in rallying for a three-hour win over Andy Murray. The dogged Ferrer hasn’t let Gasquet off the hook in the past—he’s won six of their seven meetings, losing just two sets in that span. Ferrer enjoys the advantage in forehand exchanges and will be happy to grind out physical rallies all day long. The Pick: Ferrer

TV Schedule

6:00 am - 12:00 pm: Rome (M), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Live)
1:30 pm - 3:30 pm: Rome (W), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Live)
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm: Rome (M), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Live)
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm: Rome (W), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Delay)
7:30 pm - 11:30 pm: Rome (M), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Repeat)
11:30 pm - 3:30 am: Rome (W), Quarterfinals (Tennis Channel, Repeat)

Before he was No. 1, Djokovic won his first Grand Slam title, at the 2008 Australian Open, at the expense of Tsonga.

If matches played out as they are previewed on paper, the first set made the author look like a soothsayer. Federer, riding his hot streak, completely controlled play from the start and made Ferrero look every bit of his age. But with that set behind him, and perhaps some early jitters as well, Ferrero loosened up and hit out on his shots whenever possible. If his big groundstrokes—which he still can smack—didn't end the point, they pushed Federer back while allowing him to creep closer inside the baseline. When Ferrero was in those positions, he dictated play, and his service games, somewhat dodgy in the first set, weren't as taxing.

A flat-ball hitter, Ferrero made his move at 5-5, after dodging three break points beforehand. He unleashed a backhand down the line that Federer could only graze with his racquet after a full slide, earning his first break point of the set. At the end of a rally in which Federer looked tentative, likely in response to Ferrero's sniper-like showing in recent games, the Swiss bungled a forehand into the net moving forward, clinching the break. Combined with some Federer errors, Ferrero's surge earned him the set, his first against his peerless peer in their four matches on clay.

It was a turn-back-the-clock set of games for Ferrero, but it was Federer who did something similar in the third set. His backhand became his dominant shot, both during rallies and in terminating them. After a quick hold at the onset, Federer crushed two backhands down the line for winners, claiming two break points. He'd need but one, using his forehand to send another ball down the line, uncontested, in case we forgot how it's done.

Up 2-0 and soon 5-1, there was little Federer could do wrong in closing out this match. Except for one thing: A clean whiff on a backhand that left the crowd stunned, the commentators silent, and Federer bemused. But call it tennis' version of golf's practice stroke: In the very next game, from nearly an identical position, Federer connected with that backhand for a clean winner on game point.

—Ed McGrogan

The sound of Sharapova's short preparation steps—her toes tap-dancing across the red clay sounded like a woman skipping on Saran wrap—were a prelude to the flat strikes she unleashed in fighting off six set points in the opening set. A skittish Ivanovic heard the footsteps and lost her way, squandering 3-1 leads in both sets as Sharapova staged ferocious comebacks, winning five consecutive games to close a 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory.

The reigning Rome champion reeled off her seventh straight win in the Eternal City. Sharapova has won 19 of her last 22 matches, including a sweep of Victoria Azarenka in last month's Stuttgart final, and while she wasn't always at her best today—she hit eight double faults and won just nine of 26 points played on her second serve—she showed her familiar spirit and steely competitive spine on crucial points.

This duel between Grand Slam champs and glamour queens offered rousing winners and wretched errors. But it began with promise for Ivanovic, who benefited from four Sharapova double faults in her first two service games to break for 3-1.

Serving at 3-5, Sharapova stared down her first set point when an anxious Ivanovic put a good swing on a forehand return but sent it long. Ivanovic is at her best playing on instinct, so you can't fault her for letting it fly, but Sharapova played the score more shrewdly at crunch time.

Serving for the set at 5-4, Ivanovic again could not seal the deal. The former French Open champion had five set points on her racquet, but Sharapova saved two with forehand winners and an increasingly fragile Ivanovic found the net on the others, sometimes casting concerned glances at coach Nigel Sears between points. Sharapova broke back for 5-5 when Ivanovic, who can lose the shape of her forehand and flat-line it under pressure, slapped another forehand into net, ending a struggle that spanned six deuces.

Leading 3-2 in the tiebreaker, Ivanovic opened the court with a slice serve but steered a forehand volley wide. That proved to be a costly miss. A stinging slice serve set up Sharapova's forehand winner down the line for 5-4. Two points later, the second-ranked Russian drove a diagonal forehand winner to complete the first-set comeback in 65 minutes.

Both women are so skilled at bludgeoning service returns with vicious intent that the server sometimes looked emotionally bruised as the toss went up. The 13th-seeded Serbian broke for a 3-1 second-set lead, but Sharapova smacked a swing volley to break back and incite her charge.

The win sets up a blockbuster quarterfinal clash of former top-ranked Grand Slam champions, as Sharapova plays 1999 Rome titlist Venus Williams for the first time in three years. The pair have split six career matches, with Williams winning their last two in straight sets (at the 2007 Wimbledon and 2009 Stanford), but this will be their first meeting on clay.

—Richard Pagliaro

Their match, watched by a quiet, scattered audience, started slowly. Tsonga and del Potro laid back well behind the baselines and traded ground strokes for the first four games. The first break came at 2-2, and it went to del Potro, who took advantage of a Tsonga double fault at deuce by hitting a clean backhand pass on the next point to break. It would turn out to be one the last stinging backhands he would come up with all day. In the next game, del Potro missed a series of routine shots from that side. After the last one, which gave the break of serve back, he ripped at the tape that was wrapped around his left knee in frustration.

The knee didn’t get any better, and neither did del Potro’s game. Serving at 4-5 in the first, he opened with a loose forehand into the net. After another del Potro backhand error a few points laster, Tsonga suddenly found himself at set point. He rifled a backhand down the line that caught the tape. It felt like del Potro had been ambushed, but the Frenchman had been the better player all the way. He was cracking his backhand, while del Potro finished the set with 15 errors against just six winners.

It was all Tsonga from there. At one stage he won 12 of 13 points, and he broke for 2-0 on yet another missed backhand by del Potro. By this point, the Argentine was having his knee looked at on the sideline, and his movement appeared to be hindered on court. He went for big shots, and mostly missed them, early in rallies, and Tsonga had little trouble wrong-footing him for winners. At 1-3, del Potro showed a slight sign of life, but when he wound up for a midcourt backhand, he shanked it 10 feet wide.

Three games later, Tsonga had moved on, 6-4, 6-1, to play Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals. Tsonga holds a 5-4 edge in their rivalry, though four of those wins came in 2008 and ’09. Del Potro didn’t put up the expected resistance today, but if Tsonga can hit his backhand the way he did today, he’s got a shot.

—Steve Tignor

Also through at Foro Italico were five-time Rome champion Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena and Venus Williams and French Open champ Li Na. However, top-ranked Victoria Azarenka withdrew with a right shoulder injury.

With the wind whipping the red clay into the air, Djokovic struggled with his serve and backhand in the opening set before settling down and wearing out Monaco.

''It was a very strange match. It was difficult to play with that wind but the conditions were the same for both us, he just handled it better at the start,'' Djokovic said, switching between Italian and English. ''I was playing far too defensively and passively and he was controlling everything. He was the better player for a set and a half.''

Djokovic next meets fifth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who cruised past No. 10 Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-1.

Federer also dropped a set in a 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 win over 2001 Rome winner Juan Carlos Ferrero. However, except for a brief lapse that resulted in a costly break at the end of the second set, Federer controlled with expert serving and an array of winners on a cool and crisp evening with little humidity.

Federer hit 11 aces and led 46-12 in winners, closing out the match with a backhand overhead after following his serve to the net.

Federer won his 74th career title at the Madrid Open on Sunday, and improved to 47-3 since last year's U.S. Open final. He's won seven of his last 10 tournaments.

The 16-time Grand Slam winner faces top Italian Andreas Seppi, who outlasted Stanislas Wawrinka 6-7 (1), 7-6 (6), 7-6 (6) - after Wawrinka wasted six match points.

Earlier, Nadal routed Marcel Granollers 6-1, 6-1 and will next meet seventh-seeded Tomas Berdych, who eliminated Nicolas Almagro 7-6 (3), 6-3. Berdych was the runner-up to Federer in Madrid, where Djokovic and Nadal lost in the quarterfinals on the blue clay.

In other action, Richard Gasquet rallied past No. 4 Andy Murray 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-2; and sixth-seeded David Ferrer beat Gilles Simon 6-0, 7-6 (5).

Murray skipped the Madrid Open with a back injury, and he said after the loss that it was still bothering him.

On the women's side, the Williams sisters advanced easily.

Ninth-seeded Serena rolled past Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain 6-3, 6-1 to extend her winning streak to 16 matches after winning titles in Charleston, South Carolina, and Madrid. Serena called for the trainer while leading 4-1 in the second set and had her left ankle re-taped. She then easily won the final two games.

''I wanted to loosen the tape and so I called the trainer to re-tape,'' Serena said. ''It was too tight.''

With the French Open 10 days away, Serena is ready.

''I feel good and I have had a lot of practice on clay and today I was running so much and I was ready to play and feeling good,'' she said. ''I wasn't tired at all. I feel good.''

Serena's quarterfinal opponent will be Italian hope Flavia Pennetta, who routed Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic 6-0, 6-1.

Older sister Venus eliminated fifth-seeded Sam Stosur 6-4, 6-3. She will next face defending champion Maria Sharapova, who beat 2008 French Open champ Ana Ivanovic 7-6 (4), 6-3 after saving three set points in the first.

Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova struggled before advancing with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 win over Sorana Cirstea of Romania. Her quarterfinal opponent will be Angelique Kerber, who easily beat fellow German Julia Goerges 6-4, 6-1.

Li eliminated Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa 7-6 (3), 6-2 and will meet Dominika Cibulkova, who advanced at Azarenka's expense.

As for Djokovic, in the first set alone he committed 22 unforced errors - 14 of which were backhands - to Monaco's 16, and got in only 47 percent of his first serves.

When Djokovic missed two consecutive backhands to hand Monaco the first set, he slammed his racket to the clay twice, breaking it on the second attempt, which drew a warning from the chair umpire.

The burst of anger appeared to help, though, as Djokovic virtually eliminated errors from his game. He improved to 6-0 in his career against Monaco.

''It's not the first time and I don't think it will be the last time - I'm a player with a lot of emotion,'' Djokovic said of breaking his racket. ''I hope kids didn't see it. But then it changed the match. ... The momentum swung to my side.''

Djokovic won this tournament for the second time last year, as part of his memorable 43-match winning streak.

Serena added that if Novak Djokovic pulls off the "Nole Slam" in Paris, she will be impressed. Djokovic has won the last three majors, dating back to 2011 Wimbledon.

"It would be unbelievable," she said. "I don't even think Roger did it. If Novak does it then he can join my club and we can be best friends."

Ultimately, Williams unleashed a tennis tempest of her own. Facing a 1-3 second-set deficit, the American wild card slammed three aces to hold, sparking a surge that saw her win five straight games to storm past Stosur, 6-4, 6-3, into the Rome quarterfinals.

The whipping wind made the simple act of striking the toss cleanly an adventure, as the match began with four consecutive breaks before Williams fought off a pair of break points to hold for 3-2. Finding her range after a scratchy start, Williams broke at love, winning 12 consecutive points to stretch the lead to 5-2.

The fifth-seeded Aussie crunched an inside-out forehand winner that put her back on serve at 4-5.  Stosur’s 30-0 lead in the ensuing game dissolved, however, and when her forehand down the line strayed wide, Williams had set point. A nervous drop shot from Stosur sat up, and Williams got to the ball—but pushed her forehand into the top of the tape.

Stosur sometimes stiff-arms her backhand under pressure. Consequently, her backhand down the line is not the most reliable shot. Williams knew that, and shaded to her backhand corner, baiting Stosur to hit the backhand. Stosur netted one to hand Venus a second set point. Stosur's second serve strayed wide of the center stripe as her double fault ended a 48-minute opening set.

The reigning U.S. Open champion beat a winded Williams for the first time in five matches last month in the Charleston quarterfinals and carried a 13-3 clay-court record into today's match. Prior to that, Williams had won all eight sets the pair played, and you can see why this is a comfortable match for Venus. Stosur's two biggest weapons—the kick serve and inside-out topspin forehand—don't really faze the 6'1" Williams too much, as Venus prefers the high ball to the low shot and has a wide wing span, enabling her to create the angles.

The 1999 Rome champion offers Stosur little rhythm because she can terminate rallies so abruptly with a slew of winners or errors. Williams is also capable of dumping three double faults in a game, as she did in a horrific opening game of the second set, but also throwing down three aces with ease, as she did in a dominant fifth game. That hold signaled a shift in the match as Venus, grunts growing louder, worked her way to net and knocked off a forehand volley to break for 3-3. Two games later, Williams jolted a return into the hip to break for 5-3.

Aiming for her seventh Rome semifinal, Venus meets reigning champ Maria Sharapova or Ana Ivanovic next.

—Richard Pagliaro

The match didn't lack for dramatic backstory in light of comments from Petrova's coach, Ricardo Sanchez, a week ago that portrayed Serena and sister Venus Williams as disinterested in tennis. "If Serena [played consistently] she would be the best in the world," Sanchez said. "The Williams are like sprinters—they cannot stand the long rallies, and if you get four balls back, they can’t play. When you go from there, they die."

Serena survived, as it turned out. She lost the first set before beating Sanchez's charge, Petrova, by a score of 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.

If there was incentive to win that match, Serena definitely lightened up in the wake of it. The timing of it, so soon after a late-night victory, recalled her nighttime 2011 U.S. Open win over Caroline Wozniacki, which saw her sluggish the next day in losing to Samantha Stosur. “When I saw the schedule, I said, ‘Oh, my God, are you serious?’” Serena said in Rome. “That’s life. You just have to be able to adjust and make the best of it, and so I was really happy to come through today.”

What's more, she had words for her friends who recently leaked her rap track: “I was in the studio with friends and I wanted to do something and so they said, 'Do this,' and it was for me. The next thing I know, that was one or two years ago, and then I read online that I was a rapper and so my backstabbing friends did that to me and so if I see them, I will act like a rapper—if you can get my drift."

—Jonathan Scott (Find me on Twitter @jonscott9.)

Monaco, who has won all five of his ATP titles on clay, but has only twice in his 11-year career ventured past the second round at Roland Garros, bludgeoned Djokovic in the first set with dynamic forehands. The ultra-fit righty stood toe-to-toe with the world No. 1 and broke down his backhand with searing drives. Djokovic committed 14 unforced errors on the backhand side alone in the first set, and was the player doing most of the running. But Djokovic is a dangerous player even while down. He quickly righted his game, showed more resolve and grit in the longer rallies as his backhand began to find its marks, and he made the last two sets look routine against a very game opponent.

At times in the first set, Monaco looked like he was toying with Djokovic. The man from Tandil, also home to Juan Martin Del Potro and other Argentine tennis greats, hit a backhand drop shot, and when Djokovic motored into the net to retrieve it and send it back up the line, Monaco easily sizzled a passing shot by him cross-court. Like a middle-weight boxer always on his toes, Monaco kept coming at the Serb. An inside-out forehand led to an easy backhand put-away volley. Monaco broke Djokovic to go up 4-2 with a forehand drop shot that the fleet-footed top seed poked into the net with his backhand. The last game of the first set went to three deuces, but Monaco prevailed when a Djokovic slice backhand sailed long. Monaco had captured his first-ever set against Djokovic.

Monaco appeared to believe that victory was possible, no small task against Djokovic. He had lost all five previous matches to Djokovic, but none had been played on clay. He even led Djokovic by a break in set two. But seemingly out of nowhere, in the fifth game, Monaco was broken, and the floodgates opened. Djokovic proceeded to break Monaco twice more in the set and win 21 out of 26 points to close the second set with ease.
 
Monaco's belief and quick footwork returned in the third set, which he evened by holding at love for 3-3. His forehand was booming again, but Djokovic, one of the game's great deflectors of power, turned the tide on Monaco once more. At 3-4, with Monaco serving, the Serb refused to miss during a long rally on break point, and a Monaco backhand drifted wide into the alley. Djokovic quickly proceeded to hold serve, moving into the quarters, where he will play the winner of the Del Potro-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga match. Djokovic and del Potro have not played since del Potro beat Djokovic (his only match win against the Serb in five tries) via retirement in Davis Cup last September.
 
—Dan Markowitz
 
Dan Markowitz is writing the book, "Chasing the GOAT: Roger, Rafa, Nole & The Golden Slam Year of 2012."

Andy Murray, the No. 4 seed in this Rome Masters, easily rolled through a first-set tiebreaker against Richard Gasquet (7-1), after which we were entitled to think the fragile Frenchman would quietly go away, with something like a minor moral victory that left him at no great risk of over-exertion.

But Gasquet, a semifinalist at this event last year, had other plans—and those were greatly abetted by his surly, discontented, potty-mouthed opponent. Gasquet's comeback was prefigured by the way Murray had failed to serve out the first set when he had the chance, and as the second got underway, the entire house of cards began to tumble. The next thing you know, it was a set apiece—and Gasquet would go on to win it, 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-2.

So let's cut right to the chase, a.k.a. set three, which began after a lengthy changeover during which the music blaring out of the loudspeakers around the court was not merely "electric," it was downright freaky. That set a nice stage for Murray to lapse into his self-abusing and grumpy worst—a human, Adidas-wearing version of Edvard Munch's famous expressionist painting, The Scream.

Murray complained about the shadows mottling the court, while cursing a blue streak and casting vicious glances at the ATP supervisors and umpire sitting nearby. You could hardly blame Murray, although if he thought it was hard to see the ball on court, he ought to have tried watching from my living room, where it was downright impossible.

Murray took no comfort from the fact that Gasquet started the final set with a prodigous double fault. Gasquet appeared to double fault again after leveling at 15-all, but he challenged the call and chair umpire Carlos Bernardes upheld the challenge. Then Murray challenged the overturned challenge. It was just one of the many times that he dragged Bernardes out of the chair, sometimes seemingly just for the hell of it.

(I can see where that might be fun for a player; let me write Serena Williams a note suggesting that she contemplate doing the same should she ever find Eva Asderaki officiating one of her clay-court matches.)

With Bernardes hopping in and out of his chair, Gasquet's serves sending up puffs of smoke (it was the only way for Murray, and us, to tell where they landed), Murray kvetching, that first game finally was resolved in Gasquet's favor. Whereupon an infant in the stands began wailing, and the television audience could hear Bernardes ask, through his open mike, "We lost one ball?"

In other words, it was good stuff—if you like a good old-fashioned mess.

The next game was hardly better, but Murray held. The third game was a masterpiece—the game that ought to be shown if forcing someone to watch tennis ever noses out waterboarding as the preferred form of torture. It started innocently enough, with Gasquet racing out to a 40-o lead. Then he made three errors to allow Murray to deuce. This began a back-and-forth sequence that featured six deuces and three break points. I don't know which was worse—Murray's inability to convert critical deuce and break points, or Gasquet's repeated failure to win two points in a row from deuce. Let's call it a toss-up.

The key thing, though, is that Gasquet held the game. And given how easy it is to get under Murray's skin, holding that game might have been just as valuable to Gasquet as a service break of his own. Although Murray followed with an easy hold for 2-2, his game was running away from him, going downhill.

Gasquet scored the key break after he held for 3-2. With Murray serving at 15-30, Gasquet played a very smart, conservative point—yes, I just used "smart" and "Gasquet" in the same sentence! It was one of the longest points of the match; Gasquet played it carefully but aggressively, and it ended when Murray smacked an on-the-run backhand error.

I thought his head was going to explode.

Although Murray wiped away the first break point with a nice forehand, he made yet another backhand error (it was his Achilles heel on the day) to go down, 2-4.

The rest was academic, and it ended fittingly—with Gasquet flying around the court, acrobatically tagging backhand overheads and feathering drop shots (why do I think this guy ought to have been a ballet dancer?). By the end, the clock was tickling the three-hour mark (it fell under a minute short), both men were covered in clay-dust that had turned black from perspiration, and Murray slowly shuffled off the court in what looked like ski boots (his sneaks plus those attractive ankle braces), his head hanging low.

Stat of the match: Murray was a preposterous 2 of 17 on break points, but Gasquet ought not be the one to point an accusatory finger. He was 6 of 16. And that gives you a pretty good idea of the kind of match it was.

—Pete Bodo

Isner told ESPN.com that he reacted first, tweeting, "Pretty sure Mardy Fish is sick".

Fish then tweeted, "Some of us aren't skipping tournaments bc we want to do ur homework before u make dumb generalized comments".

Andy Roddick, who has been injured, tweeted : "I know for a fact that @mardyfish is going through some serious physical issues right now. … Irresponsible tweet by @ivanljubicic1. … also I definitely always respect the choices of ATP tour veterans because I know all of us do what's in the best interest of our health and our careers. … I expect the same in return".

Ryan Harrison included Canadians in his response: "Isner, Young, Querrey, Raonic, Pospisil, Harrison. All here in Rome. Let's do a little research before making comments".

Ljubicic eventually apologized, saying: "My tweet regarding american &european players was to open the discussion rather than offend somebody. But I see some people got offended. And I am sorry for that. Wasn't the plan. And I definitely wish @MardyFish fast recovery!!!"

"They had changed," he wrote. "I could not believe what I saw. [Getting traction] was almost impossible and I had rarely seen courts that slid so much, especially in the three main courts."

Moya said that the team eventually discovered that the salt laid down on top of the courts to keep moisture away and the color uniform ended up crystallizing into an unbreakable film—due to too much heat and water—causing the surface to become slippery. It was the same salt used at Roland Garros. "That was discovered too late and we found that what works in Paris doesn't work here, but rather the opposite."

Moya went on to say that the conditions clearly favored offensive players, and that he believes the conditions will improve next year because the courts won't be replaced annually, like they have been in the past.

"But on the negative side and certainly the worst of all, what never should have happened is that it has created a gap between [Rafael] Nadal and the tournament," he said. "I think Rafa needs the tournament in the future, especially those 1,000 points that can be very important to fight for No. 1, but it is undeniable that the tournament needs Nadal. We are talking about the best player in the history of [Spain] and probably the best Spanish athlete of all time, besides being the most charismatic ... I agree that a tournament cannot be based on [one] player, but there must be dialogue. When I was a player, Wimbledon tried to please Henman, the Australian Open Rafter and Hewitt, the U.S. Open Sampras and Agassi. When I say please, I mean to talk mainly about the surface and balls mainly, apart from other issues."

Moya added that the tournament did not attempt to harm anyone, that it can one of the best tournaments in the world and just needs to get rid of some bugs. "The ball is now in the court of the president of the ATP, Brad Drewett, a newcomer to the office, who is to decide whether to continue or return to the blue color of the traditional clay," he wrote. "What a hot potato."

(1) Azarenka d. Peer, 6-1, 6-2
 

Cetkovska d. (3) Radwanska, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1
 

(5) Stosur d. Errani, 6-3, 7-5
 

Medina Garrigues d. (6) Wozniacki, 6-4, 4-0 (retired)
 

Goerges d. (7) Bartoli, 6-3, 6-1
 

(8) Li d. Benesova, 6-1, 7-5
 

(9) S. Williams d. Petrova, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
 
—Richard Pagliaro's Racquet Reaction

(12) Kerber d. King, 6-3, 6-2
 

(13) Ivanovic d. Soler-Espinosa, 6-2, 6-1
 

(14) Cibulkova d. Knapp, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1
 

Scheepers d. Erakovic, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2
 

Pennetta d. Stephens, 6-2, 6-3
 

Cirstea d. Arvidsson, 6-3, 6-1
 

V. Williams d. Makarova, 7-6 (7), 6-1
 
—Richard Pagliaro's Racquet Reaction

 
Thursday's Order of Play (Third round)
 

(5) Stosur v. V. Williams [Centrale]

—To follow one men's match, which begins at 6 am EST.
 

—Stosur scored her first win over Venus in five meetings in last month’s Charleston quarterfinals, has a 13-3 clay-court record this season, and has reached at least the quarterfinals in her last three tournaments. Forecasting Venus’ matches can be tricky because of her ongoing battle with Sjögren's Syndrome, but if she’s landing her first serve and can consistently strike the forehand down the line to Stosur’s weaker backhand, she can win.
 
 The Pick: Williams
 

(2) Sharapova v. Ivanovic [Centrale]
 
—Not before 1:30 pm EST.
 

—The reigning Rome champion has won nine of her last 10 matches in the Eternal City, has beaten Ivanovic three times in a row, and has advanced to the quarterfinals or better in all six tournament starts this season. The stats all support a Sharapova win, and she is clearly the more consistent competitor, but we’ll take a chance and roll with the former French Open champion. Ivanovic has scored a pair of straight-sets win this week, can dictate play with her forehand, and is 2-2 in her last four matches with Top 10 opponents.
 
The Pick: Ivanovic
 

(4) Kvitova v. Cirstea [Supertennis Arena]
 
—5 am EST.
 

—Consider that Cirstea beat Kvitova in their last meeting, edged seventh-ranked Marion Bartoli in Madrid last week and is a 2009 French Open quarterfinalist, and you can make a case for the 45th-ranked Romanian. Since her run to the Australian Open semis, Kvitova has struggled to put back-to-back wins together, but she has more game than Cirstea, can threaten from more areas of the court, and the Wimbledon winner is due for a winning streak.
 
The Pick: Kvitova
 

(8) Li v. Scheepers [Supertennis Arena]
 
—To follow Kvitova v. Cirstea and two men's matches.
 

Cetkovska v. Pennetta [Pietrangeli]
 
—To follow one men's match, which begins at 5 am EST.
 

(9) S. Williams v. Medina Garrigues [Pietrangeli]
 

(12) Kerber v. Goerges [Court 1]
 
—5 am EST
 

TV Schedule
 
6:00 am - 5:00 pm: Rome (M), Early rounds (Tennis Channel, Live)
5:00 pm - 3:00 am: Rome (M), Early rounds (Tennis Channel, Repeat)

One with the night: Victoria Azarenka, clad in black, beat Shahar Peer in Wednesday's final match. Despite the win, Azarenka pulled out shortly after with shoulder trouble.

Wednesday's Play (Second round)

(1) Azarenka d. Peer, 6-1, 6-2
Cetkovska d. (3) Radwanska, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1
(5) Stosur d. Errani, 6-3, 7-5
Medina Garrigues d. (6) Wozniacki, 6-4, 4-0 (retired)
Goerges d. (7) Bartoli, 6-3, 6-1
(8) Li d. Benesova, 6-1, 7-5
(9) S. Williams d. Petrova, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3	—Richard Pagliaro's Racquet Reaction
(12) Kerber d. King, 6-3, 6-2
(13) Ivanovic d. Soler-Espinosa, 6-2, 6-1
(14) Cibulkova d. Knapp, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1
Scheepers d. Erakovic, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2
Pennetta d. Stephens, 6-2, 6-3
Cirstea d. Arvidsson, 6-3, 6-1
V. Williams d. Makarova, 7-6 (7), 6-1	—Richard Pagliaro's Racquet Reaction

Thursday's Order of Play (Third round)

(5) Stosur v. V. Williams [Centrale] —To follow one men's match, which begins at 6 am EST.	—Stosur scored her first win over Venus in five meetings in last month’s Charleston quarterfinals, has a 13-3 clay-court record this season, and has reached at least the quarterfinals in her last three tournaments. Forecasting Venus’ matches can be tricky because of her ongoing battle with Sjögren's Syndrome, but if she’s landing her first serve and can consistently strike the forehand down the line to Stosur’s weaker backhand, she can win.  The Pick: Williams
(2) Sharapova v. Ivanovic [Centrale] —Not before 1:30 pm EST.	—The reigning Rome champion has won nine of her last 10 matches in the Eternal City, has beaten Ivanovic three times in a row, and has advanced to the quarterfinals or better in all six tournament starts this season. The stats all support a Sharapova win, and she is clearly the more consistent competitor, but we’ll take a chance and roll with the former French Open champion. Ivanovic has scored a pair of straight-sets win this week, can dictate play with her forehand, and is 2-2 in her last four matches with Top 10 opponents. The Pick: Ivanovic
(4) Kvitova v. Cirstea [Supertennis Arena] —5 am EST.	—Consider that Cirstea beat Kvitova in their last meeting, edged seventh-ranked Marion Bartoli in Madrid last week and is a 2009 French Open quarterfinalist, and you can make a case for the 45th-ranked Romanian. Since her run to the Australian Open semis, Kvitova has struggled to put back-to-back wins together, but she has more game than Cirstea, can threaten from more areas of the court, and the Wimbledon winner is due for a winning streak. The Pick: Kvitova
(8) Li v. Scheepers [Supertennis Arena] —To follow Kvitova v. Cirstea and two men's matches.
Cetkovska v. Pennetta [Pietrangeli] —To follow one men's match, which begins at 5 am EST.
(9) S. Williams v. Medina Garrigues [Pietrangeli]
(12) Kerber v. Goerges [Court 1] —5 am EST

TV Schedule

6:00 am - 5:00 pm: Rome (M), Early rounds (Tennis Channel, Live)
5:00 pm - 3:00 am: Rome (M), Early rounds (Tennis Channel, Repeat)

Ivanovic and Sharapova played a fantastic set of tennis at Indian Wells before the Serb's retirement ended things early.

(2) Nadal d. Mayer, 6-1, 7-5
 
—Hannah Wilks' Racquet Reaction

(3) Federer d. Berlocq, 6-3, 6-4
 
—Pete Bodo's Racquet Reaction

(7) Berdych d. Kubot, 6-4, 6-1
 

Wawrinka d. (8) Tipsarevic, 6-3, 6-1
 

Seppi d. (9) Isner, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5
 
—Seppi was 0 for 11 on break points until his third break chance at 5-5 in the third, when he finally cracked the Isner code.

(10) Del Potro d. Youzhny, 6-4, 6-2
 

(11) Simon d. Garcia-Lopez, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
 

(12) Almagro d. Querrey, 7-5, 6-2
 

(14) Monaco d. Stepanek, 6-4, 6-2
 

(16) Gasquet d. Lorenzi, 6-3, 6-2
 

Granollers d. Fognini, 6-3, 6-4
 

Thursday's Order of Play (Third round)
 

(1) Djokovic d. (14) Monaco [Centrale]

—6 am EST.
 

(2) Nadal v. Granollers [Centrale]
 
—To follow Djokovic v. Monaco and a women's singles match.
 

(3) Federer v. Ferrero [Centrale]
 
—Not before 3:00 pm EST.
 

(6) Ferrer v. (11) Simon [Supertennis Arena]
 
—To follow a women's singles match, which begins at 5 am EST.
 

(4) Murray v. (16) Gasquet [Supertennis Arena]
 

—Two of the best backhands in the game—Gasquet’s versatile one-hander and Murray’s trusty two-hander—will be on display. Gasquet has the game to pose Murray problems, but because the Scot takes the ball earlier, he should have the court-positioning edge. Murray also won their lone clay meeting—in five sets at the 2010 French Open—and is the pick to prevail in a tight test here.
 
The Pick: Murray
 

(5) Tsonga v. (10) Del Potro [Supertennis Arena]
 
—Not before 1 pm EST.
 

—The explosive Frenchman is the higher-ranked player, but del Potro has had the upper hand in winning five of their six meetings, including a four-set win in their lone clay clash at the 2009 French Open. The former U.S. Open champion has won 12 of his last 13 clay-court matches, and if he can find Tsonga’s weaker backhand wing, he should advance to his third straight quarterfinal.
 
The Pick: Del Potro
 

(7) Berdych v. (12) Almagro [Pietrangeli]
 
—To follow a women's singles match, which begin at 5 am EST.
 

—Berdych edged Almagro at the Australian Open in January; two months later at Indian Wells, Almagro blew Berdych out, 6-4, 6-0, adding intrigue to their third meeting of the season. The Madrid runner-up has been holding serve effectively during this clay-court season and has won three of five career matches with Almagro on dirt, which makes him the pick.
 
The Pick: Berdych
 

Seppi v. Wawrinka [Pietrangeli]
 
—To follow Berdych v. Almagro and two women's singles matches.
 

TV Schedule
 
6:00 am - 3:30 pm: Rome (M), Early rounds (Tennis Channel, Live)
4:30 pm - 2:30 am: Rome (M), Early rounds (Tennis Channel, Repeat)

Carlos Berlocq puts everything into a forehand against Roger Federer.

Wednesday's Play (Second round)

(2) Nadal d. Mayer, 6-1, 7-5	—Hannah Wilks' Racquet Reaction
(3) Federer d. Berlocq, 6-3, 6-4	—Pete Bodo's Racquet Reaction
(7) Berdych d. Kubot, 6-4, 6-1
Wawrinka d. (8) Tipsarevic, 6-3, 6-1
Seppi d. (9) Isner, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5	—Seppi was 0 for 11 on break points until his third break chance at 5-5 in the third, when he finally cracked the Isner code.
(10) Del Potro d. Youzhny, 6-4, 6-2
(11) Simon d. Garcia-Lopez, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
(12) Almagro d. Querrey, 7-5, 6-2
(14) Monaco d. Stepanek, 6-4, 6-2
(16) Gasquet d. Lorenzi, 6-3, 6-2
Granollers d. Fognini, 6-3, 6-4

Thursday's Order of Play (Third round)

(1) Djokovic d. (14) Monaco [Centrale] —6 am EST.
(2) Nadal v. Granollers [Centrale] —To follow Djokovic v. Monaco and a women's singles match.
(3) Federer v. Ferrero [Centrale] —Not before 3:00 pm EST.
(6) Ferrer v. (11) Simon [Supertennis Arena] —To follow a women's singles match, which begins at 5 am EST.
(4) Murray v. (16) Gasquet [Supertennis Arena]	—Two of the best backhands in the game—Gasquet’s versatile one-hander and Murray’s trusty two-hander—will be on display. Gasquet has the game to pose Murray problems, but because the Scot takes the ball earlier, he should have the court-positioning edge. Murray also won their lone clay meeting—in five sets at the 2010 French Open—and is the pick to prevail in a tight test here. The Pick: Murray
(5) Tsonga v. (10) Del Potro [Supertennis Arena] —Not before 1 pm EST.	—The explosive Frenchman is the higher-ranked player, but del Potro has had the upper hand in winning five of their six meetings, including a four-set win in their lone clay clash at the 2009 French Open. The former U.S. Open champion has won 12 of his last 13 clay-court matches, and if he can find Tsonga’s weaker backhand wing, he should advance to his third straight quarterfinal. The Pick: Del Potro
(7) Berdych v. (12) Almagro [Pietrangeli] —To follow a women's singles match, which begin at 5 am EST.	—Berdych edged Almagro at the Australian Open in January; two months later at Indian Wells, Almagro blew Berdych out, 6-4, 6-0, adding intrigue to their third meeting of the season. The Madrid runner-up has been holding serve effectively during this clay-court season and has won three of five career matches with Almagro on dirt, which makes him the pick. The Pick: Berdych
Seppi v. Wawrinka [Pietrangeli] —To follow Berdych v. Almagro and two women's singles matches.

TV Schedule

6:00 am - 3:30 pm: Rome (M), Early rounds (Tennis Channel, Live)
4:30 pm - 2:30 am: Rome (M), Early rounds (Tennis Channel, Repeat)

When Federer and Ferrero, who will play tomorrow's night match, met in the 2003 Rome semifinals. Includes a heated exchange between Federer and the umpire, along with an overzealous spectactor.

In their only previous encounter, Mayer defeated Nadal in straight sets. But it’s one thing to beat Nadal during the autumn Asian hard-court swing, which usually throws up a few surprising results, and quite another to do so on his beloved red clay. Mayer, aged and ranked 28 and still struggling to get going in 2012 after a groin injury in January, took a thorough battering in the first set, holding serve just once. Nadal, on the other hand, rampaged through the set without losing a point behind his first serve, hitting 11 winners to just three unforced errors, and generally looking like a man determined to sweat out the poisons and lay the ghosts of his unfortunate defeat in Madrid the week before.

The first game of the second set suggested that things would continue the same way: at 15-0, Mayer hit a lob after bringing Nadal into net, only for Nadal to hit a delicate forehand lob of his own while running backwards. The winning get had Mayer applauding and Uncle Toni out of his seat. Mayer, whose ungainly movement and extravagant backswings can distract from his potentially lethal game, dug in to save a break point in that game and hold as Nadal’s level dropped slightly. Hitting fewer winners while his unforced error numbers climbed (he would end with 16 for the match, 13 of them committed in the second set), Nadal continued to hold with ease, but struggled to break through on Mayer’s serve. The German made some bigger serves, throwing caution to the wind and every shot he could come up with into the rallies. It worked for a while, but at 5-5 Nadal appeared to settle himself seriously to the task of breaking serve, and did just that with a forehand winner after a wild backhand error from Mayer.

Serving for the match, a double fault and a bizarre failure to put the ball over the net after chasing down a drop-shot—with plenty of time—might have had some fans suffering flashbacks to Nadal’s collapse against Fernando Verdasco in Madrid. In the next point, Mayer once again threw everything into it, but Nadal stayed patient, picking up the ball off the slice brilliantly and ending it with a forehand volley. Two big serves took him to match point, and as Mayer put a backhand into the net, Nadal moved on to face compatriot Marcel Granollers in the next round. It’s a new week, new courts and Nadal is back to winning ways.

—Hannah Wilks

The 23-year-old Makarova made her mark on the Williams family in January when she scored a stirring, 6-2, 6-3, victory over Serena to advance to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. The left-hander snapped Serena's 17-match Melbourne winning streak in handing the 12th-seeded American her first Australian Open loss since the 2008 quarterfinals, and one of the most lopsided defeats of her Grand Slam career.

Makarova was at it again today, using her curling crosscourt forehand to great effect, as she both opened the angles and tied up Williams with body blows to serve for the opening set at 5-4. Venus' ongoing battle with Sjögren's Syndrome may have sapped some of her strength, but her speed remains undiminished. At the age of 31, Venus is still one of the fastest women on the tour. Using her long strides to cover the court quickly, Williams began to add more air to her shots, playing her sometimes troublesome forehand with more topspin for greater net clearance. She broke back for 5-all, only to see Makarova lift her level and save set points as the set escalated into overtime.

The 39th-ranked Russian saved set points at 4-6 and 5-6 in the breaker, the second on a backhand pass down the line. Williams earned a fifth set point and put her legs to use with a series of defensive stabs, but Makarova won a crackling 24-shot rally to level at 7-7. Williams bent over to catch her breath. Shaking off the fatigue, Venus shifted into attack mode, following an inside-out forehand approach to net, where she nudged a soft forehand volley winner into the front court for a sixth set point. When Makarova's running backhand missed the mark, Williams wrapped up a 64-minute first set of momentum shifts in which both women won 41 points.

Makarova reached the fourth round of Roland Garros last spring, and when she's hitting her spots with her serve and forehand, she has the weapons to pose problems for elite players. But consistency can be an issue, and she was not nearly as accurate as Williams when hitting on the run in the second set. Venus whipped a forehand pass down the line for break point, broke for a 2-1 lead when Makarova banged a backhand into net, and never looked back in completing a 95-minute win.

The degree of difficulty should spike for Venus, who takes on 2010 French Open finalist Samantha Stosur in the third round. Williams has won four of their five meetings, but Stosur scored a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory in their last match, last month's Charleston quarterfinals. The winner will face second-seeded Maria Sharapova or Ana Ivanovic in the quarters.

—Richard Pagliaro

The grounds crew dragged the court clean prior to third set and Petrova cleared the cobwebs from her head. Both women dug out of 0-30 holes to hold. Typically a shrewd mid-match adjuster, Williams worked the Petrova forehand over in a cross-court exchange to draw an error and hold for 4-3. The 30th-ranked Russian rallied to save three break points in the next game, but sailed a backhand three foot long on the fourth as Williams broke for 5-3. Serena closed the win by the same 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 scoreline Petrova prevailed by in their last two matches.
 
A decade removed from her sole Rome title, Williams faces Anabel Medina Garrigues next.
 
 —Richard Pagliaro