Tennis: Rain keeps Williams sisters waiting

CHARLESTON: World number one Serena Williams and Venus Williams were among the players left waiting as rain wreaked havoc at the WTA claycourt tournament in Charleston. Second-seeded Caroline Wozniacki advanced to the quarter-finals via walkover after Germany’s Andrea Petkovic pulled out of their third-round match with a right calf injury, but for much of the day that non-event was the only action. Three matches finally got on Charleston’s green clay courts, with 2007 Charleston champ Jelena Jankovic of Serbia booking her quarter-final berth with a 6-0, 6-4 victory over US qualifier Jessica Pegula. Unseeded Swiss Stefanie Voegele ousted 10th-seeded German Julia Goerges 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 to set up a quarter-final clash with Wozniacki. Canadian Eugenie Bouchard also advanced, when third-seeded Australian Sam Stosur retired while trailing in the second set of their match with an existing calf injury.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6^th, 2013.