Serena Williams’ stunning 27-match winning streak was snapped in resounding fashion on Friday by Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, who progressed to the Madrid Open final 6-2, 6-3.
Kvitova was set to face Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova in yesterday’s final after she also pulled off a big upset in beating defending champion Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-4.
However, there was no such upset for home favorite and four-time champion Rafael Nadal as he moved into the semi-finals with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Grigor Dimitrov.
Photo: Reuters
Andy Murray is also safely into the semi-finals for the first time in Madrid on clay as he overcame a hobbled Milos Raonic 6-4, 7-5.
Kvitova has only recently returned to the tour following a two-month break after admitting to feeling physically and mentally exhausted, but she looked the fresher player in wrapping up victory in just over an hour on court.
“I was very slow off the mark. After my serve, I wasn’t moving as well as I should have. I wasn’t in it, I wasn’t Serena today,” 19-time major winner Williams said.
Photo: AFP
Wimbledon champion Kvitova reeled off four consecutive games from 2-2 to take the first set.
She then moved 5-1 up in the second set as the Czech went on to celebrate her first victory over Williams in six attempts.
“It is a special day for me and I am happy it is in a semi-final here in Madrid so I can play the final,” Kvitova said.
Kuznetsova also kept her fairytale return to form going as she scored her first victory over Sharapova in seven years to reach her first premier mandatory final since 2009.
“This week I was fighting. I was a little bit lucky in some moments,” Kuznetsova said.
Defending champion Sharapova was the heavy favorite to reach the final for a third consecutive year.
However, it was the two-time Grand Slam champion Kuznetsova who dictated and did not drop her serve once in the match.
“I don’t think it caught me by surprise. I’m playing in a semi-final of a tournament, you have to be ready for it. She was just the better player,” Sharapova said.
Nadal won five of the last six games to set up a semi-final meeting with Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic.
Sixth seed Berdych saved a match point in the second set before seeing off giant US 16th seed John Isner 3-6, 7-6(9/7), 7-6(7/1).
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was