The Hindu : Sport : Sharapova, Petrova upset; Sania crashes out

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Sunday, Sep 02, 2007
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Sharapova, Petrova upset; Sania crashes out

Polish teenager Radwanska stuns the defending champion in a three-setter

NEW YORK: Polish teenager Agnieszka Radwanska stunned defending champion Maria Sharapova with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 win in their U.S. Open third round tie on Saturday.

Sharapova had been a red-hot favourite to coast into the last 16 playing in the first match up on the Arthur Ashe Stadium centre-court.

Indian ace Sania Mirza, seeded 26th, crashed out of the singles event, losing to sixth seed Russian Anna Chakvetadze 6-2, 6-3.

The Russian glamour girl Sharapova had won her opening two games, both played at night for the loss of just two games and had spent just 101 minutes on court.

She got off to a smooth start pushing the 18-year-old Pole onto the backfoot with her big groundstrokes and breaking her serve to lead 2-1.

But Radwanska, a top world junior last year playing in just her sixth Grand Slam, event refused to be cowed and she broke back immediately to level at 2-2.

In the blustery conditions Sharapova started to wobble on her serve and Radwanska broke again to lead 5-3.

Breaking back

Sharapova broke back immediately, but once again she struggled on her serve and a double fault gave the Pole set point which she converted with a crisp backhand won the line.

Radwanska took a 1-0 lead in the second set but Sharapova promptly reeled off eight games in a row to stand 2-0 up in the third.

It looked like she was back in command, but another sloppy service game allowed the teenager to claw her way back into the game.

She levelled at 2-2 and then stunned Sharapova and the crowd by breaking again thanks to an 11th double fault from the Russian.

The defending champion was on the ropes and Radwanska provided the coup de grace by converting her fourth break point for a 5-2 lead thanks to a Sharapova forehand drive that died at the bottom of the net.

The Pole then served out confidently, a netcord going against Sharapova on match point.

“It wasn’t nice losing eight games in a row, but I had nothing to lose by hitting every ball and I did it,” Radwanska said.

The 30th seed will play either Shahar Peer of Israel or Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic for a place in the quarterfinals.

The 30th seed will play either Shahar Peer of Israel or Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic for a place in the quarter-finals.

Seventh seed Nadia Petrova was upset 6-4, 6-4 by Hungarian teenager Agnes Szavay in the third round on Saturday.

Russian Petrova had treatment for a left hip injury late in the first set but she was outplayed by the 18-year-old Szavay, who reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam event for the first time.

Szavay had to pull out of the final of the WTA event in New Haven last weekend with a back problem but looked fully fit again as she took the opening set. The Hungarian then broke Petrova in the ninth game of the second set and saved four break points as she served out for victory. — Agencies

The Results Women’s singles: Third round: 6- Anna Chakvetadze (Rus) bt 26-Sania Mirza 6-2, 6-3; Agnieszka Radwanska (Pol) bt Maria Sharapova 6-4, 1-6, 6-2; Agnes Szavay (Hun) bt 7-Nadia Petrova (Rus) 6-4 6-4; 10-Marion Bartoli ( Fra) bt 20-Lucie Safarova (Cze) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3; 19-Sybille Bammer (Aut) bt 14-Elena Dementieva (Rus) 6-1, 6-2; 5-Ana Ivanovic (Srb) bt Vera Dushevina (Rus) 6-1, 6-3; 8-Serena Williams (U.S.) bt 27-Vera Zonareva (Rus) 6-4, 7-6(4); 3-Jelena Jankovic (Srb) bt Alize Cornet (Fra) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3; 12-Venus Williams (U.S.) bt Alona Bondarenko (Ukr) 6-1, 6-2.

Men’s singles: Second round: Ernests Gulbis (Lat) bt Michael Berre (Ger) 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-1; Stanislas Wawrinka (Sui) bt 25-Marat Safin (Rus) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3; 17-Carlos Moya (Esp) bt Igor Kunitsyn (Rus) 6-4, 6-4, 7-5; 3-Novak Djokovi c (Srb) bt Radek Stepanek (Cze) 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 5-7, 7-5, 7-6(2); 12-Ivan Ljubicic (Cro) bt Andrei Pavel (Rom) 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(6); Robby Ginepri (U.S.) bt Teimuraz Gabashvili 6-2, 6-3, 6-1; 8-Tommy Robredo (Esp) bt Mardy Fish (U.S.) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-4; Philipp Kohlschreiber (Ger) bt 11-Mikhail Youzhny (Rus) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3; 23-Juan Monaco (Arg) bt Dudi Sela (Isr) 6-4, 6-0, 6-7(1), 6-4; 15-David Ferrer (Esp) bt Florent Serra (Fra) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2; 24-David Nalbandian (Arg) by Xavier Malisse (Bel) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2; Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Fra) bt Tim Henman (GBR) 7-6(2), 2-6, 7-5, 6-4; 2-Rafael Nadal (Esp) bt Janko Tipsarevic (Srb) 6-2, 6-3, 3-2 (retd.); Agustin Calleri (Arg) bt 16-Lleyton Hewitt (Aus) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.

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