MADRID, Spain - She showed poise under pressure in her first round match and did it all over again in her second round, and now Jarmila Gajdosova will be one of the last 16 standing at the $4.5-million Mutua Madrid Open.
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Two days ago, 26th-ranked Maria Kirilenko served for the match twice in the third set against Gajdosova - even holding two match points at 6-5, 40-15 - but couldn't put her away. On Tuesday it was 11th-ranked Agnieszka Radwanska who had the match on her racquet, leading 3-0 in the third and holding points for 4-0. Gajdosova took 23 of 30 points from there to close it out, 36 63 63.
What's Gajdosova's secret? "I'm not sure yet!" the Australian, who turned 24 a week ago, said. "I've been getting better at it as I've gotten older. I don't have any specific strategies but everything usually comes with age and experience. I've done it the last few matches and I'll keep trying to fight whenever I'm down."
Before this year, Gajdosova had been 0-17 against Top 20 players. Her win over Radwanska made her 3-2 against that ranking group this year, the other two wins coming against Top 10 players Sam Stosur and Francesca Schiavone.
Awaiting Gajdosova in the next round will be either No.7 seed Jelena Jankovic or Lucie Safarova, who play their second round match Wednesday. Gajdosova is 0-4 lifetime against Jankovic and 2-2 lifetime against Safarova.
"I've been fighting as much as I can this week, even when I was down in both matches," Gajdosova said. "I like the courts. They're a little bit faster with the altitude and my game seems to be working. I will try my best in the next round."
Other players reaching the last 16 were No.1 seed Caroline Wozniacki, who came from a break down in both sets to beat Bojana Jovanovski, 64 64; No.3 seed Francesca Schiavone, who beat Sara Errani at night, 60 26 63; No.5 seed Samantha Stosur, who edged Daniela Hantuchova, 76(1) 75; No.16 seed Petra Kvitova, who beat Chanelle Scheepers, 63 63; Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who beat fellow American Vania King, 60 62; and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who saved a set point at 2-5 in the first set and shifted to high gear to defeat No.11 seed Marion Bartoli in straight sets, 75 61.
Schiavone was pleased with her form despite the mid-match lapse. "I played a flawless first set - probably the best set I played all year. I lost a bit of focus in the second set but got it together in the third. It was a very competitive match."