L.A.: Just In Time For Streaming ...

So a couple of mildly disappointing results last night in L.A. First of all, Licky had to retire trailing Cirstea 63 10 due to a shoulder injury. And she doesn’t look too happy.

Oh dear. Get better soon, Licky! I want you kicking ass this autumn!

And in the upset of the tournament so far, Dinara Safina lost to Zheng Jie Jie Zheng in three sets, 75 46 64.

I wasn’t awake to scoreboard this one at all, but I gather that Dinara was on top with a 4-2 lead in the third set before she had a bit of a nervy b, double-faulted away the break, lost eight straight points and indeed the match. Dear oh dear. I bet Zeljko had some choice words for her after this one.

Still, it’s a great result for Zheng, who’s been languishing in the wilderness a bit of late. And it opens up the tournament, because really, who’s going to win from here? Answers on a postcard … or you know, in the comments.

Results:

Singles – Third Round
(14) Zheng Jie (CHN) d. (1) Dinara Safina (RUS) 75 46 64
(2) Vera Zvonareva (RUS) d. Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 76(5) 46 64
(10) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) d. (5) Nadia Petrova (RUS) 63 63
(13) Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. (6) Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 63 62
(8) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) d. Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) 63 62
Urszula Radwanska (POL) d. (12) Li Na (CHN) w/o (right knee injury)
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) d. (17) Sabine Lisicki (GER) 63 10 ret. (shoulder injury)
Maria Sharapova (RUS) d. Alona Bondarenko (UKR) 46 60 63

Doubles – Quarterfinals
Kirilenko/A.Radwanska (RUS/POL) d. (1) Stosur/Stubbs (AUS/AUS) 63 76(3)
Chuang/Yan (TPE/CHN) d. (2) Hantuchova/Sugiyama (SVK/JPN) 16 63 107
(4) Hsieh/Peng (TPE/CHN) vs. A.Bondarenko/Vesnina (UKR/RUS) w/o (Vesnina: low back strain)
King/Niculescu (USA/ROU) d. Garbin/Schiavone (ITA/ITA) w/o (Schiavone: right hamstring strain)

Friday’s OOP:

Stadium (from 12.00hrs)
1. Cirstea vs. A.Radwanska
2. Zheng vs. Stosur (NB 14.15hrs)
3. U.Radwanska vs. Sharapova (NB 20.00hrs)
4. Pennetta vs. Zvonareva