Chakvetadze dashes Venus dream
Sunday, 5 August 2007
CARLSBAD, Aug 4 (AP): Venus Williams failed to capitalise on a match point and lost her quarterfinal of the Acura Classic to Anna Chakvetadze as the No 3 seed earned a 6-7 (5), 7-6 (3), 6-2 victory Friday.
Chakvetadze squandered the first set after leading 5-2. The Russian double-faulted eight times in the match, three times giving games to Williams in the set. Included in that span was a set point that number 10 seed Williams saved before going on to win the set in a tiebreak.
Chakvetadze trailed 5-3 in the second set before bouncing back.
Williams held a match point at 5-4 before Chakvetadze broke serve.
Both players held serve to force the tiebreak, won by Chakvetadze as she took advantage of several errors by the American.
The 20-year-old Russian handled Williams easily in the final set to beat the Wimbledon champion.
"It was the biggest win in my career, but I am already thinking about tomorrow," Chakvetadze said. ''I was fighting until the end. I think that was why I won", she said.
Chakvetadze squandered the first set after leading 5-2. The Russian double-faulted eight times in the match, three times giving games to Williams in the set. Included in that span was a set point that number 10 seed Williams saved before going on to win the set in a tiebreak.
Chakvetadze trailed 5-3 in the second set before bouncing back.
Williams held a match point at 5-4 before Chakvetadze broke serve.
Both players held serve to force the tiebreak, won by Chakvetadze as she took advantage of several errors by the American.
The 20-year-old Russian handled Williams easily in the final set to beat the Wimbledon champion.
"It was the biggest win in my career, but I am already thinking about tomorrow," Chakvetadze said. ''I was fighting until the end. I think that was why I won", she said.