Cincinnati: Venus Williams failed to sustain the momentum from her run to last week’s Montreal final and ran out of gas in Cincinnati as she fell 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4 to 16th seed Lucie Safarova in the first round of the Western and Southern Open yesterday.
Williams, who beat her top-ranked younger sister Serena to reach the Rogers Cup final, where she lost to Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska, looked like she might be ready to make another run in Cincinnati after taking the opening set in a tiebreak.
However, the seven-times grand slam champion could not convert any of her four break chances in the second while Safarova converted her one and only opportunity to level the match.
Czech Safarova, a Wimbledon semi-finalist, stepped up the pressure in the third with two more breaks to clinch her first win in five career meetings against the 34-year-old American.
“It was definitely a quick turnaround, maybe would have been a little better to play a little later in the day,” said Williams, back in top 20 for first time since March 2013 following her runner-up finish at Montreal.
“But she just played so well. No matter what shot I hit she hit a winner, or if I hit it really deep she somehow managed to control it down the line.”
Fifth seed Maria Sharapova needed three sets to dispose of American Madison Keys in her evening second round contest, finally prevailing 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 in just under two hours.
In the other feature second round contests Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki made short work of China’s Zhang Shuai 6-2 6-3 win and second seed Simona Halep won 6-4, 6-2 over Kirsten Flipkins.
Wozniacki, a title winner last month in Turkey, was a class above the world number 31 Zhang, who was bounced out in the first round of her previous four tournaments.
Halep, playing her first match since moving to a career high world number two, saved seven of nine break points on the way to victory in 87 minutes.
Earlier Spanish 15th seed Carla Suarez Navarro, an upset winner over Sharapova in Montreal, was also made to work for her spot in the second round, needing three-sets to tame Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova 6-3 1-6 6-2.
Also in the first round, American Sloane Stephens beat German Andrea Petkovic 6-3, 6-3 and 14th seed Italian Sara Errani beat qualifier Yanina Wickmayer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(2).
Meanwhile, Rafa Nadal will decide by the end of this week whether he is fit enough to defend his US Open title after suffering a right wrist injury that ruled him out of two tune-up events, the Spaniard’s spokesman said yesterday.
“He went for a check (up) today in Barcelona and (the) imagery looks as predicted. He will practice in the next days and decide on Friday or Saturday,” his spokesman said ahead of the U.S grand slam which starts later this month.
The 28-year-old Majorcan left-hander sustained the injury during practice last month and has been training with a cast on his right wrist.
Nadal was forced to withdraw from last week’s Rogers Cup in Toronto and this week’s Cincinnati Open, putting in doubt his participation at the year’s final grand slam at Flushing Meadows in New York starting on Aug. 25.
Last week the world number two posted a picture of himself working on court with his uncle and coach Toni in which a black wrist support was clearly visible.
“Making the most of these days to continue training, always with desire and optimism,” Nadal wrote.
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