Serena Williams downed in Rome
Originally published on: 26/02/10 12:27
After insisting just a day ago that she was still the best in the world despite losing her number one ranking to Dinara Safina, Williams was walked over in the first set as Schnyder fired three aces while winning both her break points and saving four.
Williams struck back in the second set, but that was as much of a comeback as the American could muster as Schnyder broke Williams twice again in the final set to leave her opponent to slam her racket into the clay in frustration.
Current world number one Safina moved into the third round with a straight-sets victory over Virginie Razzano. The top seed did not have it all her own way in the first set though with the Frenchwoman taking her to a tie-break which the Russian won 7-1.
However, it was straightforward in the second set which Safina won 6-1 to tie up the game in one hour and 50 minutes. Safina dominated on her serve and converted 50% of her opportunities to break while saving four of the six against her.
Third seed Jelena Jankovic overcame a rain break to defeat Gisela Dulko 6-4 7-6 to set up a third-round tie with Kateryna Bondarenko. The Serbian had the chance to go 5-2 up in the second set but allowed her Argentinian opponent to claw her way back and the two-time champion had set-point against her at 4-5. However, she levelled before the rain forced the pair off and on their return Jankovic, the former world number one, prevailed in the tie-break.
Ninth seed Caroline Wozniacki overcame a troublesome serve to claim a 6-1 7-5 victory over American Bethanie Mattek-Sands to set up a clash with number six seed Victoria Azarenka.
China’s Jie Zheng, seeded 15, had a 6-2 6-7 6-2 win over Elena Vesnina in a match lasting just over two and a half hours. Thirteenth seed Alize Cornet is out of the Eternal City tournament, though, after she lost in straight sets to Bondarenko, the Ukrainian dominating on serve and breaks to win 6-4 6-1.
Anna Chakvetadze came from a set down to beat Aleksandra Wozniack 5-7 7-6 6-3, Nadia Petrova beat Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2 3-6 6-3, and Svetlana Kuznetsova saw off Daniela Hantuchova 6-3 6-3.
Ana Ivanovic cruised past Francesca Schiavone 6-3 6-4, while Flavia Pennetta won 6-3 6-7 (5/7) 6-1 against Yaroslava Shvedova, and there were also wins for Kaia Kanepi, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and Agnieszka Radwanska.
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