The Hindu : Sport : Venus Williams sails through to fourth round

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Venus Williams sails through to fourth round

Srebotnik surprises Kuznetsova; Federer sweats it out against qualifier Alves

NEW YORK: Wimbledon champion Venus Williams advanced to the fourth round of the U.S. Open by defeating Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko 6-2, 6-1 on Saturday, moving closer to a possible quarterfinal match-up with sister Serena.

Seventh-seeded Williams needed only 56 minutes to oust Bondarenko in the third round for the second year in a row at Flushing Meadows, setting up a round of 16 meeting with Poland’s ninth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska.

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Williams broke her 31st-ranked rival twice in each set without allowing a break-point chance against her. She fired nine aces and 32 winners against 25 unforced errors.

“I felt like I had to play my game, serve huge, and that served me well,” Williams said.

Radwanska eliminated Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova 6-0, 6-3 in 76 minutes.

Former champions lose

A drizzly Flushing Meadows proved an inhospitable place for former champions Svetlana Kuznetsova and Lindsay Davenport on Friday, with both skidding out in the third round.

Less than 24 hours after World No. 1 Ana Ivanovic’s shock exit, third seed and 2004 champion Kuznetsova joined the losers’ list following a 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 humbling by Slovenia’s Katarina Srebotnik.

American Davenport’s defeat was less surprising as she came up against French 12th seed Marion Bartoli and lost 6-1, 7-6 in a blaze of double faults.

Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick did not have it all their way either, but lived to fight another day, unlike Kuznetsova who cut a sorry figure as she trudged out after suffering her worst showing in New York for three years.

After squandering two match points, Srebotnik fired down an un-returnable serve on the third and sank to her knees in her moment of triumph. It was the first time the Slovenian 28th seed reached the fourth round at the Open in 10 attempts.

Davenport’s goodbye?

Number 10 was also significant for Davenport as it has been a decade since she won her first Grand Slam title at the Flushing Meadows.

On Friday, fans may have caught their final glimpse of the 32-year-old on a singles court. Uncharacteristically, her latest defeat was peppered with an alarming number of double faults.

While many Americans were eager to get home early on Friday for the start of the long Labour Day weekend,

Federer, Djokovic and Jankovic appeared to be in no hurry to join the celebrations and laboured to victory. Federer, still getting used to his place at the bottom of a draw after being deposed as World No. 1 by Rafael Nadal last week, should have strolled into the third round as he was playing a Brazilian qualifier who had not played a tour-level match this season before arriving at Flushing Meadows.

Instead, Thiago Alves ignored his status as the 137th best player in the world and gave the four-time champion the run around before Federer eventually prevailed 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.

In a sign of his troubled times, Federer racked up 46 unforced errors and converted only four of his 15 break points.

Roddick thrilled his home crowd by coming back from a set down and trailing in the second against young Latvian Ernests Gulbis booming in his first serves and ripping winners from all angles.

Roddick withstood the onslaught from Gulbis to win the match 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 7-5 in a late night session during which both players celebrated birthdays as the clock struck midnight. Roddick turned 26, while Gulbis turned 20.

Djokovic too ran into a spot of bother in his opening set when he had to save two set points, but took it in his stride to subdue American qualifier Robert Kendrick 7-6(8), 6-4, 6-4. — Agencies

THE RESULTS

Prefix denotes seeding

Men: Third round: Sam Querrey (USA) bt 14-Ivo Karlovic (Cro) 7-6(5), 7-6(5), 6-2.

Second round: 5-Nikolay Davydenko (Rus) bt Agustin Calleri (Arg) 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(2); 26-Dmitry Tursunov (Rus) bt Victor Hanescu (Rou) 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2; Jarkko Nieminen (Fin) bt Ivo Minar (Cze) 6-7(2), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2; Gilles Muller (Lux) bt Tommy Haas (Ger) 2-6, 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-3; 2-Roger Federer (Sui) bt Thiago Alves (Bra) 6-3, 7-5, 6-4; 30-Marin Cilic (Cro) bt Robby Ginepri (USA) 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5; 18-Nicolas Almagro (Esp) bt Sam Warburg (USA) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4; 23-Igor Andreev (Rus) bt Jeremy Chardy (Fra) 7-6(3), 6-4, 6-3; 3-Novak Djokovic (Srb) bt Robert Kendrick (USA) 7-6(8), 6-4, 6-4; 13-Fernando Verdasco (Esp) bt Rui Machado (Por) 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-0; 28-Radek Stepanek (Cze) bt Chris Guccione (Aus) 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-2; 15-Tommy Robredo (Esp) bt Marat Safin (Rus) 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-4, 6-0; 31-Andreas Seppi (Ita) bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Esp) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2; 19-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Fra) bt Carlos Moya (Esp) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4; 8-Andy Roddick (USA) bt Ernests Gulbis (Lat) 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 7-5.

Women: Third round: 9-Agnieszka Radwanska (Pol) bt 18-Dominika Cibulkova (Slo) 6-0, 6-3; 7-Venus Williams (USA) bt 27-Alona Bondarenko (Ukr) 6-2, 6-1.

Li Na (Chn) bt Ekaterina Makarova (Rus) 6-1, 4-6, 6-2; 5-Elena Dementieva (Rus) bt Anne Keothavong (GBr) 6-3, 6-4; 28-Katarina Srebotnik (Slo) bt 3-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) 6-3, 6-7(1), 6-3; 21-Caroline Wozniacki (Den) bt 14-Victoria Azarenka (Blr) 6-4, 6-4; 29-Sybille Bammer (Aut) bt Tatiana Perebiynis (Ukr) 6-3, 6-0; 12-Marion Bartoli (Fra) bt 23-Lindsay Davenport (USA) 6-1, 7-6(3); 15-Patty Schnyder (Sui) bt Magdalena Rybarikova (Slo) 7-6(4), 6-4.

Doubles: Men: Second round: Mahesh Bhupathi (Ind) & Mark Knowles (Bah) bt Yves Allegro (Sui) & Horia Tecau (Rou) 6-3, 6-3.

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