Page 20 - ARUBA TODAY

A20 SPORTS
Tuesday 16 January 2018

Major letdown for U.S. women: Venus, Stephens out in Melbourne

Continued from Page 17

Serena Williams hasn’t
played a Grand Slam tour-
nament since winning her
23rd major in Australia last
year because of her preg-
nancy and the birth of her
first child.
Fifth-seeded Venus was
considered a serious con-
tender in her 77th major to
break a Grand Slam title
drought dating back to
2008.
Bencic, who had never
taken a set off Venus in four
previous matches and had
lost to Serena in the first
round last year, had other
ideas.
“I think I had a little bit too
much respect, played a
little bit careful and safe,”
Bencic said of her four pre-
vious losses to Venus. “This
time I really tried to come
out and hit it big.”
Bencic saved five break
points in the eighth game
before a rain delay caused
an almost half-hour suspen-
sion of play as the roof was
closed on Rod Laver Arena.
She returned on a roll, win-
ning the next six points to
clinch the first set, and then United States’ Venus Williams makes a forehand return to Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic during their first round match at the Australian
dominated the second. Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 15, 2018.
Venus had 26 unforced er- Associated Press
rors and 22 winners, and
said she didn’t get the luck losing streak since the U.S. winning streak — Alison five-setter in front of a par- lost in five sets to Kyle Ed-
of the draw by having to Open to eight matches. Riske, Taylor Townsend tisan crowd and qualifier mund.
play somebody who has “Tennis is definitely a roller and Jennifer Brady all lost Mackenzie McDonald also French Open champion
been ranked as high as No. coaster,” said the 13th- before Nicole Gibbs beat bucked the trend for the Jelena Ostapenko started
7. seeded Stephens, who was Viktoriya Tomova 6-1, 6-1 Americans. with a 6-1, 6-4 win over
“I don’t think I played a broken while serving for the to end the streak of eight Not everyone found the 37-year-old Francesca
bad match. She just played match in the second set. losses for the U.S. women. going tough on a mild Schiavone, the 2010 French
above and beyond,” Wil- “But I have learned to just Irina Falconi lost 6-1, 6-1 to opening day in Melbourne. Open winner.
liams said. “I just have to not panic. It will be OK.” No. 23-seeded Daria Gavr- Top-ranked Rafael Nadal Olympic gold medal-
give her credit for that.” It wasn’t OK for the 10th- ilova in the night match, and No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov ist Monica Puig saved a
The 20-year-old Bencic, seeded Vandeweghe, a making it 1 for 9. opened with routine wins, match point before recov-
who was born a couple of semifinalist in Melbourne “Yes we were talking about as did second-seeded Car- ering for a win over former
months after the last time and at the U.S. Open last it in the locker room and oline Wozniacki and No. 4 U.S. Open champion Sam
there was no Williams in the year, who was feeling sick some of them were ribbing Elina Svitolina on the wom- Stosur.
second round at the Aus- and frustrated in a 7-6 (4), me that I had to carry the en’s side. Other seeded players fall-
tralian Open (1997), hit 32 6-2 loss to Timea Babos. flag for us,” Gibbs said. Nadal, returning from time ing included No. 24 Domini-
winners, had 12 unforced She yelled an obscenity “It was a tough day, and out with a sore right knee, ka Cibulkova, the 2014
errors and converted five late in the second set, and this is a tough sport. had a 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 win over Australian Open finalist, No.
of 11 break-point chances. then got a time violation This isn’t an indication of Victor Estrella Burgos in a 25 Peng Shuai and No. 31
She credited playing with for waiting too long for a anything except we have night match played at the Ekaterina Makarova.q
Roger Federer at the Hop- banana to be brought to a lot of depth and we had same time as local hope
man Cup — where they the court between sets, a bad day.” Nick Kyrgios beat Rogerio
teamed up to win for Swit- earning a point penalty. Sock, the highest ranked of Dutra Silva 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.
zerland — with helping her “I was just trying to wait for the American men, lost 6-1, No. 6 Marin Cilic, No. 10
recent improvement. what I asked for to come 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-3 to Yuichi Su- Pablo Carreno Busta, No.
Having Federer’s parents and the chair umpire gita, while Isner lost to Aus- 23 Gilles Muller, No. 24 Di-
supporting her in the crowd deemed that it wasn’t a tralian journeyman Matt ego Schwartzman, No.
also helped. good enough reason,” she Ebden and qualifier Kevin 28 Damir Dzumhur, No. 30
Stephens was the first Amer- said. King lost to No. 15 Jo-Wil- Andrei Rublev and No. 31
ican to falter, losing 2-6, 7-6 CiCi Bellis, Sofia Kenin — fried Tsonga. Pablo also advanced.
(2), 6-2 to No. 34-ranked who lost to No. 12 Julia Go- Ryan Harrison beat Dudi U.S. Open finalist and No.
Zhang Shuai to extend her erges, now on a 15-match Sela in a sometimes heated 11-seeded Kevin Anderson