Doha Quarterfinals

The women have their first Tier I/"Masters"/top-level tournament this week i.e. the first of the top 9 tournaments on their regular tour, which I and most tennis fans consider to be similar to the ATP Masters 1000.  At any rate, most of the big names have gathered in Doha, Qatar for a "Premier 5" as it is officially called.  Doha and Dubai have swapped both dates on the calendar and points allotted/level since last year.

Vera Zvonareva defeated Caroline Wozniacki in last year's Doha final, but those points will be defended next week in Dubai, although it looks unlikely that Zvonareva will play due to her hip injury.  Wozniacki defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova in the Dubai final last year, but those points are defended this week, and neither of those two women still remain in the Doha field.  Here are the eight remaining quarterfinalists:

1) Victoria Azarenka (BLR)
3) Samantha Stosur (AUS)
4) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)
5) Marion Bartoli (FRA)
Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)
Lucie Safarova (CZE)
Monica Niculescu (ROU)
Christina McHale (USA)

-Just 5 of the 16 seeds reached the round of 16, Kuznetsova was only one of those to lose at that stage.
-Just 2 of the 16 R2 matches went 3 sets, McHale's win over Peng and Safarova's stunner over Wozniacki.
-Seeds not reaching QF:  2) Wozniacki (R2 l. to Safarova), 6) Zvonareva (R2 ret. vs Niculescu), 7) Schiavone (R2 l. to Wickmayer), 8) Jankovic (R2 l. to Peer), 9) Lisicki (R1 l. to Kerber), 10) Pavlyuchenkova (R1 l. to Pervak), 11) Cibulkova (R1 l. to Pennetta), 12) Peng (R2 l. to McHale), 13) Ivanovic (R2 l. to Cetkovska), 14) Kuznetsova (R3 l. to Safarova), 15) Hantuchova (R1 l. to Halep), 16) Goerges (R2 l. to Lepchenko)
-Players having poor seasons generally continued that trend, I am thinking here of Schiavone, Pavlyuchenkova, and Cibulkova
-Wickmayer has put together a nice early season run, and also the Romanians continue to make statements on the tour.
-McHale makes her first appearance in QF at a Tier I tournament, and is the first American not named Williams to go this deep since Vandeweghe at '10 Tokyo.  Lepchenko also made R3 here as a qualifier.
-Kerber's 7-match win streak was snapped by Pironkova in R2.

Friday's quarterfinals:
Azarenka vs Wickmayer
Radwanksa vs McHale
Stosur vs Niculsecu
Bartoli vs Safarova