Serena to face Sharapova in Stanford quarters

Sports

Serena to face Sharapova in Stanford quarters

Close

Serena Williams set up a quarterfinal meeting with Maria Sharapova at the Bank of the West Classic.

29 July,2011 02:05 pm

Serena Williams set up a quarterfinal meeting with Maria Sharapova while top-seeded defending champion Victoria Azarenka suffered a shock loss at the Bank of the West Classic on Thursday.Williams beat Russian Maria Kirilenko 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 to set up an intriguing pre-US Open clash of former world No. 1s.Williams is playing her first tournament on US soil since the 2009 US Open. She missed nearly a year following right foot surgery. She also had blood clots in her lungs, and another surgery to remove a pool of blood under her skin.She took a medical timeout during her match against Kirilenko to get her left ankle retaped after a blister formed, and the Russian took advantage by winning the second set and taking the first game of the third.Belarussian Azarenka was beaten 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 by New Zealands Marina Erakovic, a 121st-ranked qualifier who recorded her first win over a top-20 opponent, stunning the Wimbledon semifinalist. Her quarterfinal opponent will be Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova..