Serena shocked as Djokovic stretches streak
Monday, 20 January 2014
MELBOURNE, Jan 19 (AFP): An injury-hit Serena Williams crashed out of the Australian Open against Ana Ivanovic Sunday, missing the chance for an 18th major title and a rare calendar-year Grand Slam.
As men's champion Novak Djokovic reached the quarter-finals with his 28th straight win since September, another Serb rubbed out the hot women's favourite and ended one of the longest streaks of her career.
In a result which throws the women's draw wide open, Ivanovic capitalised on Williams' poor movement to take her first ever sets against the world number one, winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Afterwards, Williams said she was on strong medication for a back injury which she suffered in recent days and almost prompted her to pull out before her third-round win over Daniela Hantuchova.
"I made a tremendous amount of errors, shots I missed I normally don't miss, I haven't missed since the '80s. I'm just not used to missing those shots," she said.
"I think Ana just played a really good match. She did what it takes to win."
The upset robs Williams of the chance to join Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova on 18 Grand Slams, and draw nearer to Steffi Graf's Open-era record of 22.