Serena Williams was sent packing in a shock fourth round loss to Ana Ivanovic at the Australian Open on Sunday; she was suffering from a back injury. PHOTO: REUTERS
As men’s champion Novak Djokovic reached the quarter-finals with his 28th straight win since September, another Serb outplayed the hot women’s favourite and ended one of the longest streaks of her career.
In a result which throws the women’s draw wide open, Ivanovic capitalised on Serena’s poor movement to take her first ever sets against the world number one, winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Afterwards, Serena said she was on strong medication for a back injury, which she suffered in recent days which almost prompted her to pull out before her third-round win over Daniela Hantuchova.
“I made a tremendous amount of errors, missed shots that I normally don’t miss,” she said. “I’m just not used to missing those shots.
“I think Ana just played a really good match. She did what it takes to win.”
Ivanovic, the former world number one who is resurgent under new coach Nemanja Kontic, will now play Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard.
“I think all the struggles were just for moments like this,” said the popular 26-year-old, who has never yet regained the highs of 2008 when she won the French Open and topped the world rankings.
‘I didn’t t.ake anything for granted’
Djokovic had to endure a grating comedy act, but little threatening tennis, from Italian seed Fabio Fognini, a close friend whom he has known since junior days, to reach the quarter-finals.
The four-time champion kept focus to win 6-3, 6-0, 6-2 despite relentless antics at the other end from Fognini, who splashed water in his face, knocked a marshall’s hat and clowned for the crowd.
“I knew that he’s a flashy kind of player and that if he feels good, if he’s focused enough, he can be very dangerous opponent on any surface,” said Djokovic.
“So I did not take anything really for granted. I went out there preparing for this match as well as I do for any.”
Meanwhile, Spanish third seed David Ferrer doggedly ground down Germany’s Florian Mayer 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 to set up a quarter-final with Tomas Berdych, who beat Kevin Anderson 6-2, 6-2, 6-3.
And China’s Li was irresistible in her 6-2, 6-0 win over Russian 22nd seed Makarova as the two-time finalist reached the last-eight in just under an hour.
The 2011 French Open winner will next play fellow veteran Flavia Pennetta, who beat German Angelique Kerber 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.
Aisam-Bopanna crash out
The India-Pakistan Express of Aisamul Haq Qureshi and Rohan Bopanna were knocked out of the third round of the Australian Open by 12th seeds Treat Huey of the Philippines and Dominic Inglot of Britain.
Huey-Inglot beat the seventh seeds 6-4, 7-6 (7/1) in an hour and 19 minutes to progress to the quarter-finals.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 20th, 2014.
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