US Open: Bartoli stuns Kvitova as Sharapova, Stosur advance

New York: Maria Sharapova is back in the US Open quarterfinals for the first time since winning the title in 2006.

Shrieking loudly during points, screaming and pumping her fist after winning them, Sharapova grabbed control after a 75-minute rain delay to beat 19th-seeded Nadia Petrova 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 on Sunday night. Sharapova improved to 11-0 this season in three-set matches. She trailed 2-0 in the final set against Petrova, but took five of the next six games following the resumption in play. The four-time Grand Slam champion now faces 2007 Wimbledon runner-up Marion Bartoli of France for a semifinal berth. The 11th-seeded Bartoli defeated No. 5 Petra Kvitova, who won Wimbledon last year, 1-6, 6-2, 6-0. [caption id=“attachment_440665” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Maria Sharapova is back in the US Open quarterfinals for the first time since winning the title in 2006. AP[/caption]

 Bartoli stuns Kvitova to reach quarters   Marion Bartoli rallied to upset Petra Kvitova and reach the US Open quarterfinals for the first time. The 11th-seeded Frenchwoman won 1-6, 6-2, 6-0 on Sunday. Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon champion, has never made it past the fourth round at Flushing Meadows. The 2007 Wimbledon runner-up, Bartoli won 12 of the last 13 games and 25 of 32 points in the third set. There were 12 breaks of serve in the match. Kvitova, seeded fifth, had been the only woman to advance to at least the quarterfinals at each of the first three Grand Slam events this year. [caption id=“attachment_440636” align=“alignright” width=“380”]  Marion Bartoli rallied to upset Petra Kvitova and reach the US Open quarterfinals for the first time. AP[/caption] Stosur tops Robson to move to US Open quarters  Sam Stosur ended Laura Robson’s string of victories over former Grand Slam winners Sunday and kept her own hopes alive of defending her US Open title. Stosur needed nine match points to finally end the British teen’s run, winning 6-4, 6-4. The seventh-seeded Aussie closed out the match when she came in for a ball that ticked the net and knocked an unreturnable shot deep to her left-handed opponent’s forehand. Robson, who had previously knocked out four-time Grand Slam titlist Kim Clijsters and 2011 French Open champion Li Na, tried to get back in the match after falling down 5-2 in the second set. Her 41 unforced errors turned out to be too much to overcome, though this will still go down as a successful summer. Robson teamed with Andy Murray to win the silver medal in mixed doubles at the London Olympics. She was ranked 111th in singles before Wimbledon and is projected to rise to around No 75 after the US Open. She was the first British woman to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam since Jo Durie at the 1991 US Open. Stosur still hasn’t dropped a set at the US Open in what has, so far, been a fairly low-profile tournament for the defending champion. “It’s just different pressure, but I wouldn’t say it’s any worse,” Stosur said. “I’m happy to be in the quarters again.” AP