Indian Wells: Women's Quarterfinals

The eight quarterfinalists are set on the women's side, and men will play their round of 16 games so I'll talk about them tomorrow.  Still remaining in the women's draw:

1) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)
8) Victoria Azarenka (BLR)
10) Shahar Peer (ISR)
15) Marion Bartoli (FRA)
16) Maria Sharapova (RUS)
19) Ana Ivanovic (SRB)
23) Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)
Shuai Peng (CHN)

So this tournament has been a bit of a surprise in my opinion and almost has reverted back to last year where we didn't know who was going to do what.  Clijsters and Zvonareva are out early as well as Kvitova and Li.  Some players left for dead have made some noise (Safina, Ivanovic, and to some extent, Sharapova).  Kuznetsova has become Kuznetsova again.  Five younger Americans won first round matches and then McHale shocks Kuzzy in round 2.  Shuai Peng continues to impress.  Wickmayer is winning again.  It seems the injuries are behind Radwanska the younger.  Bartoli is quietly putting together another solid result.  But above all, the world no. 1 is the picture of consistency, the calm above the storm.

Wozniacki is the only player from last year's quarterfinals still alive in this draw.  Jankovic, Radwanska the elder, and Kleybanova were one round away while Stosur and Martinez Sanchez made round 3.  With the Clijsters injury, Caroline will remain the world no. 1 probably into the clay season since Kim has the Miami championship to defend.  Then Clijsters can only add (if she plays in the clay season) due to last year's injury.  I haven't crunched the numbers but I'm guessing Schiavone will pass Stosur again for #4 due to Sam's failure to make the semis again here.  And a player continuing to rise that no one seems to be talking about is Shahar Peer.  It looks like she is headed for top 10.

No real major surprise runs at the tournament although Shuai Peng and Dinara Safina have gone deep as unseeded players but Peng has been playing well all year and Safina is a former no. 1.  I at least think it's good to she has gotten a fraction of her form back and should return to the top 100 in the next rankings.  I still believe she dropped in form and the rankings due to her back injury moreso than the the pressure of the no. 1 ranking, since she still put up solid results in 2009 while ranked no. 1 before the back injury derailed her that fall.  We'll see if she is able to climb her way back at least to being relevant again.

Today's quarterfinal matchups:
-Wozniacki vs Azarenka (this will leave only 1 top 10 player in the draw)
-Sharapova vs Peng
-Peer vs Wickmayer
-Bartoli vs Ivanovic

Three former (or current) no. 1s in action, and a total of 4 slams.