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Venus eclipsed at Open
January 16, 2006 (Foxsports)
VENUS Williams's chances of a first Australian Open title came to a spectacular halt today when she lost to an unknown teen in the first round.
Helpless ... Venus searched everywhere for her game. Pic: Reuters
The former world No.1 lost 6-2 0-6 7-9 inside Vodafone Arena to Tszvetana Pironkova from Bulgaria after a catalogue of errors ruined her chances of progressing.
The Australian Open will remain the only grand slam tournament Williams has failed to win in her glittering career for at least another 12 months.
Williams's previous worst performance was a third-round defeat in 2004. A first round defeat was something nobody had expected.
With the focus on defending champion Serena Williams and her apparent lack of fitness, Venus had crept into Melbourne and practised without much attention leading into the first grand slam of the year.
But her error count today was inexcusably high. She sprayed an incredible 65 unforced errors around Vodafone Arena as a stunned day one watched her surrender the second set - and the match initiative with it - in an unbelievable manner.
Williams made 14 unforced inside the stanza to Pironkova's one and had her serve broken three times as she failed to win a single game in a disastrous period of play.
In a nail-biting deciding set that lasted 86 minutes, Williams, whose left thigh was heavily strapped, broke the 18-year-old's serve in the first game, only to have the tenacious Bulgarian break back in the next.
Pironkova served for the match at 5-4 but Williams just managed to cling on, digging deep and trying desperately to regain her mental edge by pounding herself on the head between points.
She told herself several times to "think, think", but she could not summon victory from the jaws of defeat.
Williams's best finish at the Australian Open remains her runner-up effort in 2003, when she was beaten by Serena, who has won here twice and starts the defence of her title from last year tonight on Rod Laver Arena.
For Pironkova, the win represents a blinding debut that she'll do well to top. In her only previous match against the elder Williams, she was crushed 6-1 6-3 in Istanbul.
Pironkova soared 201 spots in the rankings last year, jumping from 295 to 94.
This not insignificant victory will see her climb higher still and no doubt taste some serious short-term fame ahead of her second round match on Wednesday.
How Venus's defeat affects Serena tonight remains to be seen.
The siblings have not entered the women's doubles this year, meaning Serena's singles campaign is the family's sole purpose for staying in Melbourne now.
Serena Williams, though, is already under pressure to perform after a week of speculation over her fitness and weight, and will be hoping not to suffer the same fate as her sister this afternoon.
Seeded outside the top 10 for the first time in seven years, she has won her past two Opens - in 2005 and 2003, having missed 2004.
January 16, 2006 (Foxsports)
VENUS Williams's chances of a first Australian Open title came to a spectacular halt today when she lost to an unknown teen in the first round.
Helpless ... Venus searched everywhere for her game. Pic: Reuters
The former world No.1 lost 6-2 0-6 7-9 inside Vodafone Arena to Tszvetana Pironkova from Bulgaria after a catalogue of errors ruined her chances of progressing.
The Australian Open will remain the only grand slam tournament Williams has failed to win in her glittering career for at least another 12 months.
Williams's previous worst performance was a third-round defeat in 2004. A first round defeat was something nobody had expected.
With the focus on defending champion Serena Williams and her apparent lack of fitness, Venus had crept into Melbourne and practised without much attention leading into the first grand slam of the year.
But her error count today was inexcusably high. She sprayed an incredible 65 unforced errors around Vodafone Arena as a stunned day one watched her surrender the second set - and the match initiative with it - in an unbelievable manner.
Williams made 14 unforced inside the stanza to Pironkova's one and had her serve broken three times as she failed to win a single game in a disastrous period of play.
In a nail-biting deciding set that lasted 86 minutes, Williams, whose left thigh was heavily strapped, broke the 18-year-old's serve in the first game, only to have the tenacious Bulgarian break back in the next.
Pironkova served for the match at 5-4 but Williams just managed to cling on, digging deep and trying desperately to regain her mental edge by pounding herself on the head between points.
She told herself several times to "think, think", but she could not summon victory from the jaws of defeat.
Williams's best finish at the Australian Open remains her runner-up effort in 2003, when she was beaten by Serena, who has won here twice and starts the defence of her title from last year tonight on Rod Laver Arena.
For Pironkova, the win represents a blinding debut that she'll do well to top. In her only previous match against the elder Williams, she was crushed 6-1 6-3 in Istanbul.
Pironkova soared 201 spots in the rankings last year, jumping from 295 to 94.
This not insignificant victory will see her climb higher still and no doubt taste some serious short-term fame ahead of her second round match on Wednesday.
How Venus's defeat affects Serena tonight remains to be seen.
The siblings have not entered the women's doubles this year, meaning Serena's singles campaign is the family's sole purpose for staying in Melbourne now.
Serena Williams, though, is already under pressure to perform after a week of speculation over her fitness and weight, and will be hoping not to suffer the same fate as her sister this afternoon.
Seeded outside the top 10 for the first time in seven years, she has won her past two Opens - in 2005 and 2003, having missed 2004.
