Serena Falls To 116th-Ranked Rogers

By Daily sports on August 15, 2020

Serena Williams suffered her first loss since 2012 to a rival outside the WTA’s top 100, falling to fellow American Shelby Rogers in a Friday quarterfinal at the Top Seed Open.

Rogers, ranked 116th, outlasted ninth-ranked Williams 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) after two hours and seven minutes, finishing the 23-time Grand Slam champion with a service winner.

“It’s every kid’s dream growing up to be able to do something like that,” Rogers said. “Weird circumstances. Weird situation. But a win is a win.”

The US Open hardcourt tuneup event at Lexington, Kentucky, is being staged in a quarantine bubble due to the Covid-19 pandemic that had kept Williams idle since a February Fed Cup appearance.

Top seed Williams had not lost to a player outside the top 100 since falling to France’s Virginie Razzano in the first round of the 2012 edition of Roland Garros.

Williams, who ousted sister Venus on Thursday, was playing matches to prepare for the US Open, which starts 31 August. She will seek a seventh title on the New York hardcourts to match Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slam crowns.

Rogers reached her first WTA semifinal since Rio in 2016. She’ll face 63rd-ranked Swiss left-hander Jil Teichmann, who ousted American Catherine Bellis 6-2, 6-4.

A rain delay of two hours and 45 minutes postponed her match, but Williams showed no sign the wait had put the 38-year-old mother off her game.

Williams broke for a 2-0 lead by forcing an errant Rogers backhand, broke again in the sixth game when Rogers netted a forehand and held on a service winner to claim the opening set after only 26 minutes.

“Definitely a little overwhelmed in the first with that pace,” Rogers said of Williams and her powerful serve. “Tried to hit a few more volleys in the second, just hit one more ball.”

Rogers, who never faced a break point in the last two sets, broke on her third chance in the last game of the second set when Williams netted a forehand.

Both players held serve into the tie-breaker, where Williams jumped ahead 3-1, only to have Rogers run off four straight points, two on Serena's serve, to seize the lead for good.

Williams netted a backhand to give Rogers two match points, but saved the first with a service winner only to fall when Rogers answered with a service winner of her own.

Rogers, who will return to the WTA top 100 next week, was in her first quarterfinal since May 2017, due in part to a long absence after a 2018 left knee injury.

The other semifinal will send American Jen Brady – who ousted Czech Marie Bouzkova 6-1, 6-2 – against the winner of a later match between US teen Coco Gauff and Tunisian eighth seed Ons Jabeur. (AFP)

•PHOTO: Serena Williams © Getty Images

 

Source Daily sports

Posted August 15, 2020


 

You may also like...
Bayer Leverkusen Teammates Urging Havertz To Reject Chelsea...

NFF formally applies for Aina’s switch

Manchester United squad the costliest of all-time –...

BREAKING NEWS: World Cup 2026 to be hosted...

We did not ask athletes to buy tickets...

Tottenham To Go To Bulgaria In Europa League,...

 

Latest News Nigeria beat Cameroon to reach IHF final 27 schools for Doregos Basketball Championship Super Falcons to play France’s Les Bleues in friendly SWAN suspends ban on coverage of Anambra FA activities Joshua among boxing’s top three earners in 2024 Oshoala makes history with Bay FC Nnamani hails team over IHF bright start Flamingos lift U-17 W’Cup Fair Play Trophy Rangers Intl, SWAN partner on sports collaboration in SE LAGOS SWAN CELEBRATES AIG ZONE 2 ON HIS BIRTHDAY AND 30 DAYS IN OFFICE Traders Cup: Upholstery Soccer Team Secured 2nd Win To Advance To Round Two Lagos SWAN Celebrates Oba Akiolu, Iyaloja General, AIG Fayoade

 

Most Read Rangers International going, going . . . (55,140 views) Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (46,267 views) Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (44,349 views) Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (43,990 views) Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (43,930 views) Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (43,877 views) Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (43,717 views) NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (43,287 views) Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (42,331 views) Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (41,034 views) Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (39,488 views) John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (38,915 views)

 

Phone numbers

Tel: +234(0)8066020976
+234(0)8055068145
+234(0)7013416146
+234(0)8094272884

Email addresses

info@dailysportsng.com
support@dailysportsng.com
publisher@dailysportsng.com

Office address

No 3, Adetoun Close, Off College Road, Ogba, Ikeja Lagos.
Website: www.dailysportsng.com

Social Media