Australian Samantha Stosur moved into the third round of the ATP-WTA Madrid Masters on Tuesday, defeating Daniela Hantuchova for the second time in a fortnight on red clay.

The fifth seed came through 7-6 (7/1), 7-5 winner in a second round match which was almost interrupted by a huge thunderclap in the skies over the Caja Magica. The noise caught Hantuchova off-guard, with the flinching Slovak asking to stop play.

But with Stosur closing in on victory, the match went ahead, with the French Open finalist advancing on her second match point in just under two hours of play moments later.

Stosur lifted her clay record in 2011 to 6-2 as she closes in on her career-best in Madrid, a quarter-final last year. She next faces the winner from French 11th seed Marion Bartoli and Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

“We always have tough matches,” Stosur said after claiming victory with 24 winners and 28 unforced errors. “We know each other’s game very well.

“It was a tough match and I’m glad to get through. I was ready to play a third set if it had gone to that. I just tried to stay in the moment and play each point as it came.

“My game if feeling good on clay, in fact I’ve had some of my best matches this season on the red clay. I’m feeling very good and hope to keep going like this.”

Czech 16th seed Petra Kvitova also advanced 6-3, 6-3 past South African Chanelle Scheepers as Bethanie Mattek-Sands hammered fellow American Vania King 6-0, 6-2.

In men’s play, German Florian Mayer, losing finalist on Sunday in Munich to Nikolay Davydenko, upset Serb 16th seed Viktor Troicki 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in their first round tie while Kevin Anderson of South Africa defeated Belgian Olivier Rochus 6-2, 6-4.

Anderson will next test undefeated 27-0 second seed Novak Djokovic in the second round.

To submit comments you must first

Join the discussion & Debate

Stosur thunders to Madrid win

For Commenters Consideration | Please stick to the subject matter