Updates on the Sony Ericsson Open

Caroline Wozniacki/AP Images

The tennis buzz today is all about Tuesday night.

By Allie Leogrande

Caroline Wozniacki impressed and surprised many as she defeated veteran Serena Williams in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4. Wozniacki showed a strong performance, which is even being said as her career-best. This victory might have been a combination of a great performance by Wozniacki and Williams not playing her best. Williams said after the match that her game was at “20 percent.” Still, Wozniacki kept Williams on her toes – by surprising her and not giving her much help in terms of unforced errors.

Wozniacki now advances to the semifinals where she’ll play Maria Sharapova on Thursday. After her win, Wozniacki tweeted,

“Won my match today 6-4 6-4! Excited to be in the semis on Thursday against Sharapova..”

On the men’s side, Rafael Nadal defeated Kei Nishikori Tuesday, 6-4, 6-4. The Spaniard’s win, however, was not as easy as it appeared on paper. The first set alone lasted just over an hour, in which Nadal overcame seven break points and a visit from a trainer for a look at his left knee. Nadal injured his knee earlier this month at Indian Wells.

“I am not probably at perfect conditions today with the left knee, but important thing is try to win as many matches as possible," Nadal said. "For me here is important tournament, and every victory have very, very big value for me, especially without being perfect."

Nadal advanced to the quarterfinals, where he played Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The match was last night (March 28).

Novak Djokovic defeated No. 17 Richard Gasquet 7-5, 6-3 in the 4th round. The Serbian tweeted after his most recent match,

“Tough match today.Happy to be through. Next up @davidferrer87 one of the nicest guys on tour. It will be tough one.Thx guys!”

David Ferrer is from Spain and ranked at number 5. Depending on the way Djokovic plays in this match, Ferrer could become a dark horse in this tournament.

Again, television coverage of the Sony Ericsson Open quarterfinals and semifinals will air on ESPN2 from Wednesday, March 28 to Friday, March 30. The Women’s Final will air on CBS Saturday, March 31, and the Men’s Final will air on CBS Sunday, April 1.

Congratulations to Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo on 400th Win

Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo/detroitnews.com

By Hannah McCaffrey

     Head coach of the Michigan State Spartans, Tom Izzo, achieved his 400th career win against the Minnesota Gophers. After two tough losses, the Spartans beat the Gophers 68-42 on Wednesday, also bringing their record to 17-4, earning them a tying spot in first place in the Big Ten Conference.

See Tom Izzo’s reaction here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9rKmNpGea2M

     Senior Forward Draymond Green played a tremendous game on a special night, scoring 22 points accompanied by 14 rebounds and six assists. “It feels great to be a part of it,” said Green speaking about Izzo’s historical 400th win, “Coach isn’t playing for wins in his career, he is playing for championships.”

     After being at Michigan State for 17 years, Izzo was clearly moved by this memorable night, “I’m a part of a neat place, a great institution, and hopefully a program that’s going somewhere this year,” he said. Tom Izzo is a class act and was humbled at this significant victory. There is no doubt that he will continue to push himself and his players on a path toward victory.

     The Spartans take their momentum from this unforgettable win to Illinois on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

Sources:
http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-baskbl/msu-m-baskbl-body.html

http://news.bostonherald.com/sports/college/basketball/view/20120126tom_izzo_reaches_career_400-win_milestone_with_home_win/srvc=home&position=recent

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/26/michigan-state-tops-minnesota-tom-izzo-400-wins_n_1233423.html