Saturday April 18, 2009
Lisicki sends Venus packing in Charleston
CHARLESTON: Wimbledon champion Venus Williams crashed out of the Family Circle Cup on Thursday, losing 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) to German 16th seed Sabine Lisicki.
Second seed Williams, who was the champion here in 2004, sent down five double faults and showed the same weaknesses in her game that were obvious in her three-set struggle against India’s Sania Mirza in Wednesday’s second round.
Defeat meant Venus was unable to keep the title in the family after sister Serena won here in 2008. Serena had been due to compete, but withdrew citing the leg injury she sustained in Miami last month.
Lisicki will tackle Russia’s Elena Vesnina in the quarter-finals after she defeated Viktoria Kutuzova of Ukraine 7-7 (7-4), 7-5.
“It’s a great victory beating Venus Williams. She’s just a great champion. I still can’t really believe I won,” said Lisicki.
Venus slayer: German Sabine Lisicki rejoicing after beating American Venus Williams in the third round of the Family Cup Circle tennis tournament in Charleston on Thursday. — Reuters “It’s one of my biggest wins. I think my win against Lindsay Davenport was really big as well, representing my country and beating her in my very first Fed Cup experience. But beating Venus Williams here was just awesome.”
Williams was not the only big name to struggle with third seed Vera Zonareva, and fourth seed Nadia Petrova, both of Russia, crashing out.
Zonareva lasted just two games against France’s Virginie Razzano before being forced to abandon with an ankle injury.
The Russian sustained the injury when she fell stretching for a ball out wide at 1-1 and was taken away in tears on a golf buggy.
Petrova was outlasted 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 by Melina Czink of Hungary who will play France’s sixth seed Marion Bartoli for a place in the last four.
Bartoli eased past America’s Melanie Oudin 6-4, 6-1.
Top seed Elena Dementieva of Russia coasted into the last eight with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Varvara Lepchenko of the United States. — AFP
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