World number one Victoria Azarenka appears to be in good form just over a fortnight before the start of the French Open after moving into the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open.

However, she did not have it all way against the 13th seed Ana Ivanovic who started the clash superbly, winning 21 of the first 27 points on the way to taking a 4-1 lead.

Azarenka showed her class though by winning the next five games on her way to a 6-4 6-4 success, from that bodes well ahead of the Betfair French Open 2012 at Roland Garros later this month.

Afterwards the 22-year-old Belarusian said: “There are always times when you get frustrated, because not every day is perfect.

“You always have some obstacles to go through. But in other ways it’s exciting because you have to challenge yourself, not just in matches but in practice too. It makes it exciting to wake up every day.”

Azarenka will play the number eight seed, Li Na, in the quarter-finals after the 30-year-old Chinese star beat the number 12 seed Angelique Kerber 7-5 6-4.

Li secured the first break of the encounter in the last game of the first set before hitting back from 3-1 down in the second set to edge past the German.

Li has a good record against Azarenka, winning four of the seven clashes between the two,  although the world number one has won their last two meetings.

Meanwhile, last year’s US Open champion and the number five seed, Sam Stosur, moved into the last eight by crushing Petra Cetkovska 6-3 6-2.

With the French Open kicking off a huge summer of tennis, taking in Wimbledon, the US Open and the Olympics, don’t forget to check out all the previews, tips and advice at Betting.betfair.com.

Maria Sharapova has an undoubted talent but is also very injury-prone and that has hampered her ability to win Grand Slams throughout her career, but she is looking strong yet again and will be a force to be reckoned with over the coming months.

The 24-year-old Russian star can boast 24 WTA titles throughout her career and also three Grand Slam titles, but the last of those was in 2008 and she has gone off the boil due to injuries in recent years. Those looking for Betfair Tennis Betting Tips should remember this.

Sharapova burst onto the scene in 2004 when she beat two-time defending champion and top seed Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final to secure a first Grand Slam title at the age of only 17.

But chronic shoulder problems have hampered her over the years and this forced her out of the game for 10 months earlier in her career. Fans of Betfair need to bear this in mind.

In 2011 she made the Wimbledon final and moved up to number five in the world, which was her highest positing since her shoulder problems flared up back in 2008. Sharapova made it as high as number two last year but ended the year at four – still this was her first top five finish since 2007.

At the Australian Open earlier this year Sharapova lost in the final to Victoria Azarenka, with the now-American resident admits she is confident with where her game is at this point in time – with the obvious targets of the French Open and Wimbledon on the horizon.

Sharapova said: “I believe that in the last year I have taken a step further in a good direction and that has made me quite happy because for years I have felt like I wasn’t really moving forward like I wanted to be.”

Now she is ranked at number two in the world rankings behind the woman who beat her in the Australian Open final, but the likes of Petra Kvitova, Caroline Wozniacki and the ever-dangerous Williams will be looking to make a statement in upcoming Grand Slams.

British number two Anne Keothavong was unable to build on her excellent first round victory against the world number 16 Dominika Cibulkova at the PTT Pattaya Open as she slumped to a disappointing 6-4 7-5 defeat to Sania Mirza.

The 25-year-old Indian player won the clash in an hour and 39 minutes. It was a poor defeat for Keothavong, who had secured the biggest win of her career when she beat Cibulkova. Those searching for Betfair tennis free bets need to bear this in mind.

After she had won that encounter, the 28-year-old had said: “I didn’t have too many expectations going in to the match as I felt a little under-cooked having only just arrived from the Fed Cup in Israel but I surprised myself.

“The courts are super-fast here and it’s hot and humid. But I think the courts favoured my game more and I was quicker to adjust.”

Meanwhile, the number four seed Maria Kirilenko made heavy weather of beating an Australian for the second time in 24 hours before eventually edging past Anastasia Rodionova 2-6 6-3 7-6.Kirilenko had to save a match-point in the second set of her two-and-a-half-hour first round victory over Casey Dellacqua and was serving at 2-5 15-30 in the third set against Rodionova before hitting back to force a tie-break that she won. Fans of UK betting sites should remember this.

The Russian’s quarter-final opponent will be the 34-year-old Thai player Tamarine Tanasugarn, who beat the qualifier Chang Kai-Chen 7-6 6-3.Top seed Vera Zvonareva will come up against Sorana Cirstea in the last eight in Thailand after seeing off Akgul Amanmuradova 6-3 6-3. The two-time champion will not find it easy against Cirstea though as the 21-year-old Romanian was in impressive form as she thrashed Misaki Doi 6-2 6-2.

Roger Federer is looking to get back on the winning trail after suffering defeat to Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals of last month’s Australian Open.

The 30-year-old world number three is set to star for Switzerland in a Davis Cup World Group first round clash against the USA this weekend on an indoor clay-court in Fribourg. People looking for tennis betting tips should bear this in mind.

Federer, who ended 2011 by winning 17 successive matches, said: “I am in a good state mentally and physically. I have had a great run since last year’s US Open; I had not lost until the other week.

“It was a good period for me, and I hope I can get back in winning ways this weekend. Here in Switzerland, it is nice we got home-court advantage, and we will try to make the best of it and see where it takes us.”

Switzerland and the USA have met four times in the Davis Cup, with the Swiss emerging victorious just once in 2001 when a 19-year-old Federer won both his singles rubbers and teamed up with Lorenzo Manta to secure a victory in the doubles. Fans of Betfair online betting should remember this.

That proved to be the catalyst for an amazing career that has seen Federer win 16 Grand Slams in the last decade – six Wimbledon titles, four wins at the Australian Open, five at the US Open and his solitary 2009 success at the French Open.

Switzerland, who can also call on the services of Stanislas Wawrinka, will be the favourites to beat the USA, who have Mardy Fish and John Isner in their ranks.

Rafael Nadal has played down concerns over his knee after cruising into the fourth round of the Australian Open with a straight sets win against Lukas Lacko.

The Spaniard eased to a 6-2 6-4 6-2 victory against the Slovak qualifier in an hour and 55 minutes to set up a clash against the 18th seed Feliciano Lopez. People following the latest online tennis betting odds should bear this in mind.

Nadal was again playing with a heavily strapped right knee, but said after his straightforward win: “The body is fine, I’m very happy to be in the fourth round.

“It was a really complete, solid match and I’m very happy about my game. Being in round four without losing a set is fantastic.”

The second seed had damaged his right knee ahead of his first round win over Alex Kuznetsov, admitting after beating the American that he had been in ‘unbelievable pain’.

He looked more at ease when seeing off Tommy Haas 6-4 6-3 6-4 in the second round and could now be a contender to claim his 11th Grand Slam.

Nadal won the Australian Open in 2009 but has been knocked out at the quarter-final stage in each of the last two years. He has clinched the French Open title six times in the last seven years as well as winning Wimbledon in 2008 and 2010 and the 2010 US Open.

Meanwhile, Roger Federer is also making serene progress, cruising into the fourth round by beating Ivo Karlovic 7-6 7-5 6-3.

The 16-time Grand Slam winner, who is the third seed for this tournament, said after his success: “I needed a bit of luck too, especially in the tie-break. I definitely got fortunate but I got better as the match went on.”

Second-seed Rafael Nadal eased through his second round tie against Tommy Haas, showing no signs of the knee injury that had threatened to end his Australian Open campaign. Speaking after his opening round victory, Nadal revealed he had suffered “unbelievable pain” in his right knee only hours before his tournament got under way.

Nadal managed to get through his first-round match without any problems, however, and the 2009 champion appeared fully fit as he took apart the experienced Haas in straight sets of their second-round match. The German produced some impressive tennis to keep Nadal working for his win, but the Spaniard was never in too much danger as he saw off the threat of the veteran 6-4 6-3 6-4. Those planning to place a bet on Australian open 2012 tennis will have been impressed.

Haas, a former three-time semi-finalist at Melbourne Park, will have been happy to have been given the chance to grace the Rod Laver once again, yet the German was outplayed and outclassed by the 10-time Grand Slam winner – who will now go onto the third round full of confidence and in the knowledge that his knee is in good shape.

Nadal was given a firm enough test to have given himself a decent work-out, without having to go through a marathon and physically demanding second-round tie against a potentially tricky opponent, albeit one that was at the height of his powers nearly a decade ago. Fans of Betfair should remember this.

“It is much better and I am so happy the knee is improving and I am able to play without pain,” Nadal said after the match.

“I don’t know if it was the perfect match but I won in three sets.”

“It was positive but not that demanding (physically). We didn’t play for four or five hours.”

Speaking before the tournament, Nadal insisted he didn’t feel he had a genuine chance of success at this year’s Australian Open. That opinion may have changed after another confident victory for the Spaniard.

Number two seed Rafael Nadal came through his opening round tie against Alex Kuznetsov in straight sets – then revealed he came close to withdrawing from the tournament with injury only hours before getting his campaign under way.

The Spaniard admitted a knee problem flared up the night before his first match of the Australian Open, an injury that had threatened to end Nadal’s chances before the tournament even started.The 10-time grand slam champion looked in promising form during his straight sets victory, however, showing little sign of any fitness concerns. People planning to bet on Australian Open 2012 should bear this in mind.

Kuznetsov showed glimpses of quality in the opening set, before Nadal went on to wrap it up 6-4, but the rest of the match was an exhibition for the world number two.
The 2009 champion claimed the second and third set 6-1 6-1, producing some scintillating tennis to see off the American qualify and ease his way into a second-round match-up with Tommy Haas.

Nadal was delighted to have come through the match after his injury scare and played down fears the knee problem would see him forced to pull out of the tournament. Scans revealed no damage to the knee and the 24-year old will be hoping to avoid a repeat episode during the next few weeks. Anyone following the tennis betting odds will be keeping an eye on his fitness.

“Yesterday evening I wasn’t a hundred per cent sure I would have chance to play, because with the movement of that knee I felt that I will not be able to play,” he said.

“So it’s something that I really don’t understand why happened, but I am really happy that today I was ready to play and I played a fantastic match.”
“The best thing is I felt the knee very well.”

There is no doubting that Nadal is some way away from being 100% fit, however, that won’t stop plenty backing the Spaniard to go on and challenge for his second Australian Open title.