Injury puts paid to Williams’ title bid
PARIS: American Serena Williams’ audacious attempt to win the French Open for a fourth time ended in crushing anticlimax yesterday as injury, rather than an old foe, forced the 36yearold to admit defeat at Roland Garros.
The scene had been set for Williams in her ‘‘superhero’’ catsuit to take on Russian ice queen Maria Sharapova in a fourthround clash that had assumed top billing.
But shortly before the two old warriors were due on court, the 23time grand slam champion stepped into a news conference room to announce she was pulling out.
Williams, playing in her first grand slam tournament since giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia last September, said she had suffered a pectoral muscle injury in her impressive thirdround victory against German Julia Goerges.
‘‘Unfortunately, I’m having some issues with my pec muscle. Right now I can’t actually serve. It’s kind of hard to play,’’ she told a room packed with reporters.
‘‘I’m having an MRI [scan] tomorrow. I’m going to stay here to see the doctors and see as many specialists as I can. I won’t know [how serious the injury is] until I get those results.’’
Thirdseeded Spaniard Garbine Muguruza also benefited from an injury to her opponent.
She advanced to the quarterfinals after Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko was unable to continue because of a leg injury. Tsurenko was trailing 20 in the opening set of their last16 match.
In the next round, Muguruza faces Sharapova.
Twotime grand slam champion Angelique Kerber swatted aside local favourite Caroline Garcia 62, 63 and will next face top seed Simona Halep who cruised to a 62, 61 victory over Belgian Elise Mertens to reach the quarterfinals for a second consecutive year.
Kerber and Halep have met nine times previously on the WTA Tour, the Romanian winning five of those matches, including their most recent meeting at the semifinals of the Australian Open earlier this year.
Daria Kasatkina swiftly dispatched Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki.
The Russian, who led the secondseeded Dane by a set and 33 when play was called off on Monday, won the first three games to seal a 76 (75), 63 win.
In the men’s draw, holder Rafa Nadal extended his streak of consecutive completed sets won at the French Open to 37 as he thrashed Maximilian Marterer 63, 62, 76 7(4) to storm into the quarterfinals in Paris for a 12th time.
Only Bjorn Borg, with 41 sets, has a longer streak.
‘‘I don’t feel old . . . but I am 32 and I am here around since 2003, so it’s a long way, a lot of years,’’ Nadal, who celebrated his birthday two days ago, said.
Argentine Diego Schwartzman produced a remarkable fightback from two sets down to overcome South African Kevin Anderson 16, 26,75,76 (70), 62. The 25yearold Schwartzman, who faces Nadal next, was joined in the last eight by compatriot Juan Martin Del Potro who eased past American John Isner 64, 64, 64.
Up next for Del Potro is thirdseeded Croatian Marin Cilic who survived an almighty scare before overcoming Fabio Fognini 64, 61, 36, 67 (47), 63 in a marathon match lasting three hours and 37 minutes. Cilic fired eight aces and hit 44 winners to quell the battling Italian.
‘‘I was so frustrated on some occasions,’’ Cilic said.
‘‘A lot of opportunities and just missing some balls. It was not easy to keep going. It was a lot of ups and downs but I was really satisfied at the end with the way I was fighting.’’ — Reuters