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SPORTSTuesday 29 March 2016
Serena Williams upset by Kuznetsova in 3 sets at Miami Open
STEVEN WINE Svetlana Kuznetsova, of Russia, returns to Serena Williams during their match at the Miami Open but also had nine double
AP Sports Writer faults and was broken six
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) tennis tournament, Monday, March 28, 2016, in Key Biscayne, Fla. times.
— Serena Williams had Williams said the 91-degree
been out of the tourna- Associated Press temperature — a record
ment for less than 20 min- for the date — didn’t faze
utes when she climbed into more solid than me.” the round of 16. sian finished with only 18 her.
her white Mini Cooper with Murray’s elimination leaves The No. 15-seeded unforced errors to 55 for “Physically I’m fine,” she
the checkerboard top and the tournament without Kuznetsova beat Williams Williams. said. “I don’t know, I guess I
pulled away from the play- four of the five top-seeded with defense, repeatedly In addition, Williams’ serve didn’t move today. Maybe
ers’ parking lot, fastening men. Among them only No. extending points until she was uncharacteristically that was one of the things
her seat belt as she drove. 1 Novak Djokovic reached forced a mistake. The Rus- unreliable. She hit 13 aces that didn’t work out for
A hasty departure, for sure. me.” Kuznetsova, 30, won
Williams’ 20-match win- Key Biscayne 10 years ago
ning streak at Key Biscayne and is into the quarterfinals
ended Monday with a 6-7 for the first time since 2009.
(3), 6-1, 6-2 loss to Svetlana “I’m too old,” she told the
Kuznetsova in the fourth crowd. “I’ve been many
round of the upset-filled times on this court. I love
Miami Open. being back here, and I’m
Williams was bidding for really happy with my per-
her ninth title in the event formance.”
and her fourth in a row. But Also sidelined were No. 3
after a grueling first set that seed Agnieszka Radwan-
lasted nearly an hour, the ska and No. 4 Garbine Mu-
21-time Grand Slam cham- guruza. Two-time cham-
pion faded on a sweltering pion Victoria Azarenka,
afternoon. seeded 13th, committed
It was her earliest exit at only 12 unforced errors
Key Biscayne since 2000, and defeated Muguruza
when she lost in the fourth 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4). No. 19 Timea
round to Jennifer Capriati. Bacsinszky eliminated Rad-
“I did the best I could,” she wanska 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.
said during a postmatch Williams lives 90 minutes
news conference that from Key Biscayne and has
lasted less than three min- long considered the event
utes before she cut it off. her home tournament. But
“I can’t win every match. the stadium was two-thirds
These players come out empty for her match, partly
and play me like they’ve because of weather so un-
never played before in comfortable some spec-
their lives. I have to be 300 tators draped towels over
percent every day.” their heads seeking refuge
Williams, 34, will retain from the sweltering sun.
the No. 1 ranking, but she Williams played a flaw-
hasn’t won a tournament less tiebreaker, hitting two
since earning her 69th title aces and three other win-
at Cincinnati in August. ners. But after she lost serve
“She’s still No. 1, and she to fall behind 3-1 in the sec-
still plays great,” Kuznetso- ond set, her play became
va said. “I don’t see much more flat-footed. At least
to be depressed about.” twice she failed to pursue
A wave of upsets contin- shots from Kuznetsova.
ued on the men’s side, In the third set Williams tried
too, with No. 2 Andy Mur- hitting balls as hard as she
ray dropping the final five could, and some went for
games against No. 26 Grig- winners. But she double-
or Dimitrov to lose 6-7 (1), faulted to fall behind 4-1,
6-4, 6-3. and Kuznetsova held twice
Murray played in the late to close out the victory.
afternoon and declined There was no smiling by
to blame the heat, but he either player as they met
committed 22 unforced er- at the net to shake hands.
rors in the final set and 55 Kuznetsova improved to
total. He was broken six 3-8 against Williams and
times, including in his final beat her for the first time
three service games. since the 2009 French
“I made many more mis- Open quarterfinals.
takes than usual, espe- “It’s obviously disappoint-
cially in the third set,” said ing,” Williams said, “but
Murray, a two-time Key Bis- I’ve won here a lot, so it’s
cayne champion. “He was OK.”q
