Stuttgart, Germany – The last four women's Grand Slam champions, including world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka and Wimbledon titlist Petra Kvitova, were all on Thursday's second-round schedule at the star- studded $740,000 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
The top-seeded Australian Open titlist Azarenka was leading crowd favorite Andrea Petkovic 6-2, 4-4 when the German star retired because of a right ankle injury. "Petko" returned from a back-induced three-month injury layoff just this week.
Azarenka's quarterfinal opponent on Friday will be another German, wild card Mona Barthel, who upended seventh-seeded former Wimbledon runner-up Marion Bartoli, of France. 6-3, 6-1.
A third-seeded Kvitova, meanwhile, drubbed last year's French Open runner-up and 2010 Roland Garros champion Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 6-2 on the indoor red clay at Porsche Arena.
Also, fifth-seeded U.S. Open champ Samantha Stosur held off German favorite and defending Stuttgart titlist Julia Goerges 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 and eighth-seeded French Open champ Li Na handled Uzbekistani lucky-loser Akgul Amanmuradova 6-4, 6-4. Goerges became the first German champion here in 17 years (Anke Huber) last year by stunning then-world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in the Porsche finale.
Up next for the Australian Stosur will be second-seeded Aussie Open and Wimbledon runner-up Maria Sharapova, while the Chinese Li will encounter rising fourth-seeded Pole Agnieszka Radwanska. Stosur was the runner-up in Stuttgart two years ago.
A sixth-seeded Wozniacki is playing in Thursday's nightcap against Germany's Angelique Kerber, who surprised the Danish star in a final in Copenhagen just two weeks ago.
The 2012 Stuttgart winner will claim $37,000 and a new Porsche.
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