Krunic rolls on in Japan after Date tear-jerker

Serena reveals baby to world in touching home movie

TOKYO, Sept 13, (AFP): Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic powered on at the Japan Women’s Open on Wednesday by eliminating seventh seed Alison Riske, a day after ushering local favourite Kimiko Date into retirement.

It was a day of upsets at the Tokyo hardcourt tournament, with top seed Kristina Mladenovic the biggest scalp as the Frenchwoman was bundled out 6-4, 6-3 by Croatian qualifier Jana Fett in the first round.

World number 67 Krunic, who whitewashed the 46-year-old Date on Tuesday, stormed to a 6-3, 6-4 win over American Riske in sweltering conditions to reach the quarter-finals.

Third seed Elise Mertens also booked her place in the last eight, the Belgian overpowering Poland’s Magda Linette 6-1, 7-5. But there was another surprise later on Wednesday when Japan’s Miyu Kato toppled fourth seed Kristyna Pliskova — twin sister of world number one Karolina — 7-5, 6-3 to set up a meeting with Krunic.

In first-round matches, Kurumi Nara upset sixth seed Naomi Osaka 6-3, 6-0 as the next generation of Japanese tennis players took centre stage after Date’s tearful exit.

Osaka, who reached the third round of the US Open earlier this month after stunning defending champion Angelique Kerber, left her game in the locker room as she came out inexplicably flat. Australia’s former US Open winner Samantha Stosur was bundled out by Spain’s Sara Sorribes, who came from a set down to beat the fifth seed 3-6, 7-5, 6-1.

Two weeks after becoming a firsttime mother, tennis legend Serena Williams revealed her baby daughter to the world Wednesday in an online montage that featured moments from early sonograms to just after the birth.

In the touching compilation posted on Williams’ Instagram account, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion also said that there had been “complications” in the delivery of Alexis Olympia Ohanian.

“It’s been a long time, but we had a lot of complications, but look who we got — we got a baby girl!” said Williams in one segment of the home movie as she left the hospital with fiance and Reddit co-founder Alex Ohanian.

She said the couple had spent almost a week at the hospital after the Sept 1 delivery, but did not say what the complications had been. Media reports said the birth had been induced by doctors.

The clips show the pregnant tennis star — who turns 36 at the end of this month — showing off her belly bump, dancing and practicing her game, as well as shots of the expectant couple assembling their daughter’s nursery.

The film appeared to be meant as much for her daughter’s future viewing as for Williams’ millions of ecstatic fans, with the pregnant tennis mom telling the camera as she filmed her belly, “You move at 10:15 or 10:30 every night.”

Maria Sharapova muses on her long, lopsided rivalry with Serena Williams in a new autobiography released on Tuesday and how she believes a locker room moment fueled the American’s drive to dominate her.

The Russian-born Sharapova was 17 when she defeated Williams in the 2004 Wimbledon final. Rather than proving the start of a long, close-run rivalry, it was one of just two victories Sharapova can claim against the US great, who has beaten her 19 times.

In her new book, “Unstoppable: My Life So Far,” Sharapova says it was not only her victory, but the fact that she overheard Williams weeping afterwards in the locker room that ensured the American would always find a way to elevate her game in their future contests.

“It went on and on. I got out as quickly as I could, but she knew I was there. People often wonder why I have had so much trouble beating Serena; she’s owned me in the past ten years.