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Page last updated at 23:51 GMT, Sunday, 29 March 2009 00:51 UK

Safina & Ivanovic in shock exits

Sony Ericsson Open, Miami
Date: 25 March to 5 April Coverage: Updates on BBC Radio 5 Live, live scores/text commentaries on BBC Sport website & mobiles. Live on Sky Sports.


Dinara Safina
Safina had reached two finals in four events this year ahead of Miami

Second seed Dinara Safina and seventh seed Ana Ivanovic both went out of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami at the third round stage on Sunday.

Russia's Safina went down 6-1 6-4 to Australian Samantha Stosur, and Serbian Ivanovic lost 6-4 4-6 6-1 to Agnes Szavay of Hungary.

Top seed Serena Williams and her sister Venus enjoyed straightforward wins.

On the men's side, Roger Federer, Andy Roddick and Novak Djokovic all reached the last 16 with straight-sets wins.

Djokovic comfortably saw off Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4 6-1 to set up a meeting with Tomas Berdych from the Czech Republic, who beat American James Blake in three sets.

Roddick saved two set points as he beat Dmitry Tursunov 7-6 (11-9) 6-2, despite a fierce outburst after umpire Cedric Mourier refused to stop play as light rain fell and the American subsequently lost his serve, slamming his racquet to the ground twice in anger.

It just bad match for me, it was just a disaster match

Dinara Safina

"I basically was wondering how many more times we were going to play on a slippery court," said Roddick. "He said, 'Well, no one has fallen yet.' I said, 'Well, if that's a barometer, then we have a problem.'

"So I feel like my argument was just, but the way I went about it probably wasn't the best."

Federer swept aside Kiefer 6-4 6-1, while Jo-Wilfried Tsonga saw off Robert Kendrick 7-5 6-4.

And after his sister's earlier disappointment, Marat Safin made it a bad day for the family when he let a double-break and two match points slip in the final set against Gael Monfils to lose 5-7 7-5 7-6 (7-3).

On a damp and windy day in Miami, a jaded Safina was no match for Stosur, the world number 42.

606: DEBATE

"It just bad match for me, it was just a disaster match," said the Russian.

"I started to play a little bit better at 6-1 3-0 but I had put the game in her hands and it was too late."

And Ivanovic fared little better as she failed to build on her run to the final in Indian Wells last week, losing the final set comprehensively against Szavay.

"I hardly did anything well today," said Ivanovic. "I was trying to come in and I was volleying pretty well at times, but I was really disappointed. I couldn't really hold my serve."

Vera Zvonareva, conqueror of Ivanovic in Indian Wells, was another surprise loser as she went down 6-3 3-6 6-2 to China's Li Na .

Top seed Serena Williams , seeking a record sixth Key Biscayne title, reached the round of 16 by beating Peng Shuai 7-5 6-2.

Venus Williams defeated Anna-Lena Groenefeld 7-5 6-3, while fourth seed Elena Dementieva saw off 31st seed Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2 6-2.

In the doubles, Britain's Jamie Murray and Sweden's Simon Aspelin lost 6-1 7-6 (7-4) to Rik de Voest and Bobby Reynolds.

But there was better news for Murray's fellow Briton, Ross Hutchins, who teamed up with Australian Jordan Kerr to defeat Brazilians Marcelo Melo and Andre Sa 7-6 (7-5) 6-1.



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see also
Miami photos
28 Mar 09 |  Tennis
Murray battles through in Miami
28 Mar 09 |  Tennis


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