MEMPHIS (Tennessee), Feb 27: Top seed Venus Williams was stunned in the first round of the Memphis International by Czech qualifier Petra Kvitova on Tuesday, the 17-year-old left-hander rallying to defeat the defending champion 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.
The American world number eight eased through the opening set before her opponent, ranked 135 places below Williams, rallied to take the final two sets for the biggest victory of her young career.
In another upset, second seeded Frenchwoman Tatiana Golovin was beaten 6-4, 6-4 by American world number 148 Bethanie Mattek.
The American raced to a 5-1 lead in the first set and was never threatened.
Third seed Shahar Peer was able to advance, however, the Israeli easing to a 6-2, 6-1 victory over American Ahsha Rolle, joining sixth seeded Caroline Wozniacki in the second round after the Dane dumped Venezuela’s Milagros Sequera 6-0, 6-2.
In second-round matches, Olga Govortsov of Belarus rallied to defeat Renata Voracova of the Czech Republic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 and seventh seeded Sophia Arvidsson of Sweden battled to a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 win over Canada’s Stephanie Dubois.
In the men’s draw, fourth-seeded Radek Stepanek, number five Sam Querrey and number six Thomas Johansson all advanced.
Tuesday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):
Men’s singles:
First round: 6-Thomas Johansson (Sweden) bt Marat Safin (Russia) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-2); Donald Young (US) bt Sam Warburg (US) 6-4, 6-4; Mardy Fish (US) bt Bobby Reynolds (US) 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 6-2; Benjamin Becker (Germany) bt Kristof Vliegen (Belgium) 7-5 7-6 (7-1); 4-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) bt Jesse Levine (US) 6-1, 6-4; Steve Darcis (Belgium) bt Vince Spadea (US) 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4); 5-Sam Querrey (US) bt Michael Russell (US) 3-6, 6-3, 7-5; Victor Hanescu (Romania) bt Lu Yen-Hsun (Taiwan) 6-3, 2-1 – Lu retired.
Women’s singles:
Second round: 7-Sofia Arvidsson (Sweden) bt Stephanie Dubois (Canada) 1-6, 7-5, 6-3; 5-Olga Govortsova (Belarus) bt Renata Voracova (Czech Republic) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6
First round: Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) bt 1-Venus Williams (US) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3; Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) bt Alina Jidkova (Russia) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4; Bethanie Mattek (US) bt 2-Tatiana Golovin (France) 6-4, 6-4; 3-Shahar Peer (Israel) bt Ahsha Rolle (US) 6-2, 6-1; 6-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) bt Milagros Sequera (Venezuela) 6-0, 6-2.
CHAKVETADZE WINS
DUBAI: Sixth-ranked Anna Chakvetadze ended a two-match losing streak when she beat in-form Polish star Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in the Dubai Open first round on Tuesday.
Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova withdrew with a viral illness, but former champion and No 1 Amelie Mauresmo advanced.
The Russian squandered a 5-2 lead in the third set before setting up a match with compatriot Dinara Safna next.
Unseeded Mauresmo, the 2002 champion and last year’s runner-up, struggled to beat Spanish qualifier Anabel Medina Garrigues 7-6 (9-7), 6-2, and crowd favourite Sania Mirza overcame a shaky start against Vera Dushevina of Russia before winning 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.
Seventh-seeded Marion Bartoli of France was knocked out by Francesca Schiavone of Italy 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-1.
Results:
First round: Francesca Schiavone (Italy) bt 7-Marion Bartoli (France) 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1; Nicole Vaidisova (Czech Republic) bt Aiko Nakamura (Japan) 6-3, 6-0; Akiko Morigami (Japan) bt Agnes Szavay (Hungary) 6-1, 6-4; Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) bt Nadia Petrova (Russia) 6-4, 6-4; 6-Anna Chakvetadze (Russia) bt Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4; Sybille Bammer (Austria) bt Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) 7-6 (8-6), 6-3; Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) bt Ai Sugiyama (Japan) 1-6, 6-3, 6-2.—Agencies
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