Williams sisters out before 3rd round
It’s the first time in 43 major tournaments that both Venus and Serena Williams were knocked out early. French Open,
Used to be that Venus Williams was the one who was highly ranked, the one considered a title contender, the one who would dominate foes so thoroughly that matches would be tidily wrapped up in an hour.
Now 31 and figuring out from day to day how to handle an illness that saps her strength, Williams was on the wrong end of a lopsided 60-minute defeat in the second round of the French Open on Wednesday in Paris.
Looking glum and lacking the verve that carried her to seven Grand Slam tournament titles, Williams barely put up any resistance and lost 6-2, 6-3 to No. 3-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland at Roland Garros. Coming a day after her younger sister Serena was stunned in the first round by 111th-ranked Virginie Razzano of France, the early exit marked the first time in 43 major tournaments with both in the field that neither Williams got to the third round.
“I felt like I played,” Venus Williams said after making a hard-to-fathom 33 unforced errors, 27 more than Radwanska. “That pretty much sums it up.”
This one was not exactly an out-of-nowhere upset, considering Williams is ranked 53rd, has never been as good on clay as on other surfaces, lost to Radwanska 6-4, 6-1 two months ago and is learning how to be a professional athlete with Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease that can cause fatigue and joint pain.
And it continued the trend of American losses in Round 2. The U.S. women went 1-6 at Roland Garros on Wednesday, the only win coming from 19-year-old Sloane Stephens, who defeated fellow American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-1, 6-1.
The Americans played more experienced and highly seeded opponents, including 2009 U.S. Open quarterfinalist Melanie Oudin, 20, who lost to No. 21 Sara Errani of Italy 6-2, 6-3. Qualifier Alexa Glatch was beat- en 6-3, 6-1 by No. 18 Flavia Pennetta of Italy; Vania King was beaten by No. 15 Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 6-0, 6-2; and Irina Falconi lost 6-1, 6-4 to No. 6 Samantha Stosur, the reigning U.S. Open champion.
Also Wednesday, Brian Baker’s remarkable run came to an end. At least for now.
Playing in his first Grand Slam tournament in 6½ years because of a series of surgeries that forced him off the tour, the 27year-old from Nashville fought back from a two-set deficit to force a fifth before losing to Gilles Simon of France 6-4, 6-1, 6-7 (4-7), 1-6, 6-0.
“It’s definitely going to be something that I’ll be able to look back and say that I played on center court at the French Open and went five sets,” Baker said, “even though hopefully I’ll forget about what happened in the fifth.”
His fellow Americans have noticed his resurgence.
“It’s great to see him get the fire and tough out all those surgeries. . . . If his body can hang in there, I think he’s here to stay,” doubles star Mike Bryan said.