Williams sisters packed off early at French Open
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, May 29, 2014
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Defending champion Serena Williams suffers a shock loss to Garbine Muguruza in the second round of the French Open. |
Holder and world No. 1 Serena Williams was shocked 2-6, 2-6 by Spain's Garbine Muguruza in the French Open second round yesterday, an hour after her elder sister Venus was ousted at the second grand slam of the year.
On a chilly day in Paris, Serena never looked the force that has won 17 major titles. Her 20-year-old opponent broke the American's serve twice early in the first set and made the most of a series of unforced errors by a leaden-footed Williams.
The Spaniard, ranked 35 in the world, did not release the pressure and the match became a repeat of the nightmare of 2012, when Williams lost in the first round, not the glory of 2013 when she beat Maria Sharapova in the final here.
A netted return from Williams sent the Spaniard into ecstasy and even Williams's mother, Oracene, smiled as Muguruza leapt about the court. "Of course, it's amazing," Muguruza said. "I had to be really aggressive and focused.
"Today is a great day. I'm so happy," the Spaniard shouted.
Later Muguruza told a news conference: "She (Serena) said that if I continue playing like this, I can win the tournament. I said: ‘I will try, I will try'."
Serena was philosophical, saying: "I don't think anything worked for me today. It was just one of those days, you can't be on (your game) every day.
"It's not the end of the world, there's always next year."
After the defeat of China's Li Na in the first round on Tuesday, it is the first time since tennis turned professional in 1968 that the top two women's seeds have failed to reach the third round at a grand slam.
It is also the third time, after 2004 and 2008, that both Williams sisters have lost on the same day at the French Open.
The big names on the men's side of the draw suffered no problems in reaching the third round, however.
Novak Djokovic, the second seed, despatched Jeremy Chardy of France 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 while Roger Federer, seeded fourth, won 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 against Diego Schwartzman of Argentina, a player he had never seen before.
Sixth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych started slowly before beating Aleksandr Nedovyesov of Kazakhstan 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-5 6-3. Eighth seed Milos Raonic of Canada got past another Czech, Jiri Vesely, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-1.
The Williams sisters had been due to meet in the third round but that was knocked off the agenda when Venus became the first seed to lose in the second round, falling 6-2, 3-6, 4-6 to Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia.
The 29th seed, wearing long sleeves in temperatures of 14 degree Celsius, has never won the claycourt grand slam in 16 visits and, now 32, she may have to accept she never will.
Schmiedlova, aged 19 and ranked 56 in the world, wasted two match points on Williams's serve before the American hit wide to set up a third, and the Slovak clinched the match with a fine backhand cross court shot.
"This is the biggest win of my life," said Schmiedlova, who broke down when expressing how much Venus had meant to her when she was growing up.
Flavia Pennetta of Italy, seeded 12th, joined the Williams sisters in heading for the exit after going down 7-5, 4-6, 2-6 to Sweden's Johanna Larsson.
Canada's Eugenie Bouchard, the 18th seed, recovered from a slow start to beat Julia Goerges of Germany 2-6, 6-2, 6-1.
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