Safina tumbles at first hurdle as Serena survives
Source: Agencies |
May 12, 2010, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
DINARA Safina's French Open preparations suffered a hit when she lost 6-7 (1), 6-7 (3) to Czech qualifier Klara Zakopalova in the Madrid Masters first round on Monday.
The Russian world No. 5, defending champion on the clay in the Spanish capital, was the latest big name to fall after grand slam winners Justine Henin, Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova lost their first-round matches.
In a topsy-turvy encounter, Safina and Zakopalova, the world No. 88, each claimed seven breaks of serve but the 28-year-old from Prague dominated the tiebreaks.
Safina, who slipped from three to five in the updated rankings on Monday, has lost in the Roland Garros final the past two years and has yet to claim a grand slam title despite rising to No. 1 last year.
A pumped-up Serena Williams had to draw on all her battling qualities to get past Vera Dushevina into the third round, coming back from a set down and saving a match point for a 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) success.
The American world No. 1, who won her 12th grand slam title at January's Australian Open before injury sidelined her for three months, looked to be on her way out when the unseeded Russian held a match point at 6-5 in the second set.
Berating herself and appealing to watching coach and father Richard Williams, she clawed her way back and took the deciding set despite having a long treatment break for what appeared to be right thigh and lower back problems.
She squandered one match point with a wild backhand at 6-4 in the third-set tiebreak but a ninth ace on the next point prompted a bellow of delight from the pink-clad 28-year-old after almost 3-1/2 hours of play, the longest match of her career.
"When I shout like that it's just to get energized," Williams, who is on course to meet Russian sixth seed Elena Dementieva in the last eight, told a news conference.
Serena's sister Venus, the fourth seed, had a much easier passage into the last 16 when she beat Russian Vera Zvonareva 7-5, 6-3.
In another second-round match, Francesca Schiavone beat Sybille Bammer 6-2, 6-1.
In first-round action, Peng Shuai of China advanced when 10th-seeded Victoria Azarenka retired while trailing 0-3. Eighth-seeded Samantha Stosur and 13th-seeded Li Na of China also won.
The Russian world No. 5, defending champion on the clay in the Spanish capital, was the latest big name to fall after grand slam winners Justine Henin, Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova lost their first-round matches.
In a topsy-turvy encounter, Safina and Zakopalova, the world No. 88, each claimed seven breaks of serve but the 28-year-old from Prague dominated the tiebreaks.
Safina, who slipped from three to five in the updated rankings on Monday, has lost in the Roland Garros final the past two years and has yet to claim a grand slam title despite rising to No. 1 last year.
A pumped-up Serena Williams had to draw on all her battling qualities to get past Vera Dushevina into the third round, coming back from a set down and saving a match point for a 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) success.
The American world No. 1, who won her 12th grand slam title at January's Australian Open before injury sidelined her for three months, looked to be on her way out when the unseeded Russian held a match point at 6-5 in the second set.
Berating herself and appealing to watching coach and father Richard Williams, she clawed her way back and took the deciding set despite having a long treatment break for what appeared to be right thigh and lower back problems.
She squandered one match point with a wild backhand at 6-4 in the third-set tiebreak but a ninth ace on the next point prompted a bellow of delight from the pink-clad 28-year-old after almost 3-1/2 hours of play, the longest match of her career.
"When I shout like that it's just to get energized," Williams, who is on course to meet Russian sixth seed Elena Dementieva in the last eight, told a news conference.
Serena's sister Venus, the fourth seed, had a much easier passage into the last 16 when she beat Russian Vera Zvonareva 7-5, 6-3.
In another second-round match, Francesca Schiavone beat Sybille Bammer 6-2, 6-1.
In first-round action, Peng Shuai of China advanced when 10th-seeded Victoria Azarenka retired while trailing 0-3. Eighth-seeded Samantha Stosur and 13th-seeded Li Na of China also won.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
