Two-time champion Jelena Jankovic bared her claws with a monumental 6-0, 6-1 thrashing of Venus Williams to bury any dream of an all-Williams semifinal at the Internazionale d’Italia.
Top-seed Serena Williams had earlier won her 10th match in a row to do her part to set up a possible sister clash, earning a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Russian Maria Kirilenko.
But elder sister Venus was humbled in 59 minutes by Serb Jankovic.
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The loss was the most comprehensive in Williams’ career — 16 years as a professional — with the US player unable to make any effort in the face of the Jankovic tsunami on clay in humid and chilly night-time conditions.
“I had so many tough matches against Venus,” said Jankovic, now 6- 5 in the series. “It’s great to win. This scoreline is unbelievable.
When you play against a Williams you can’t relax. You have to go out there and give it your best.” Former French Open champion and number one Ana Ivanovic may be finally turning the corner on a long and frustrating slump measured in months rather than weeks.
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The Serb upset 14th-seed Nadia Petrova of Russia 6-2, 7-5 for only her third top-10 win since November 2008. Number 59 Ivanovic has also beaten ninth seed Victoria Azarenka and Russian Elena Dementieva this week.
“I’ve been feeling really good on court for a couple of weeks now, and I really felt it could happen any week,” said Ivanovic. “I just needed to get some more momentum and start playing matches. That’s what I’ve been lacking for so long. To have these wins here means a lot.”
Spain’s Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez put out Czech Lucie Safarova 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 in an unseeded match-up at the Foro Italico interrupted briefly by a rainstorm.
Martinez Sanchez avoided a letdown after knocking out Danish second seed Caroline Wozniacki on Thursday on the Roman clay.
Serena Williams is playing her first event since winning the Australian Open three months ago, blaming a left knee injury for keeping her off court.
Williams sent down seven aces and broke serve four times in a 78-minute contest against the first-time quarterfinalist in Rome.
Williams has beaten Kirilenko in all three of their matches, last in 2006.
But the winner can’t understand how she’s done so well after her long pause: “I can’t believe I’m still in the tournament. It’s weird.”