Venus Williams struggles in Stanford

Top seed Venus Williams fended off a spirited challenge in her opening match against world No. 87 Magda Linette at the WTA Tour’s Stanford tournament Wednesday as she needed three sets to advance.
Former two-time champion Williams defeated Linette 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals of the hardcourt tournament at Stanford University.
The 36-year-old Williams is hoping she doesn’t suffer a post-Wimbledon letdown and she now has an easy path to the semifinals since her next opponent won’t be ranked in the top 200 in the world.
Williams will face either Catherine Bellis, who is ranked 203rd, or Sachia Vickery who is one spot back of Bellis in the world rankings.
“It would be very special to get No. 50 here but I am just going to try to keep advancing,” said Williams who has 49 career titles after winning in Kaohsiung, Taiwan earlier this year.
Williams blasted 11 aces and had four double faults against Linette in the two hour, 14 minute match on the main stadium.
Linette, who is ranked second in Poland behind Agnieszka Radwanska, had to be pleased to take the world No.7 to three sets in her Stanford debut.
In 2015 she made her Grand Slam debuts at the French Open, US Open and Wimbledon.
In other matches, fifth seeded Misaki Doi showed no mercy against her Japanese doubles partner Nao Hibino, winning in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 in their second round match.
Doi, who is ranked 36th in the world, advances to the next round where she will face either second seed Dominika Cibulkova or Urszula Radwanska of Poland.
Doi is hoping that a good run through the rest of the summer will help her earn a seeding spot for the upcoming US Open.
Doi defeated Karolina Pliskova in Wimbledon’s second round, forced Sam Stosur to play three sets in a first round loss at the French Open, and gave Angelique Kerber a scare at the Australian Open earlier this year, taking the eventual champion to match point in the early rounds.
British No. 1 Konta took care of business, beating Julia Boserup 6-3, 6-1 in just over an hour.
Her Stanford debut continues in the quarterfinals where she will face China’s Zheng Saisai, who upset seventh seeded Frenchwoman Alize Cornet 6-4, 6-1.

Stosur wins; Wozniacki hurt
In Washington, former world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki suffered another setback in season of struggles Thursday, retiring from a match she led against Australian top seed Samantha Stosur with a left arm injury.
The 26-year-old Dane, who was 5-4 since returning from a right ankle injury that wiped out her claycourt campaign, quit when the pain became too unbearable while leading 7-5, 3-4 in the second round of the WTA and ATP Washington Open.
“It’s one thing after another,” Wozniacki said. “After going out in the first round at Wimbledon I’m hitting the ball better and things are going well.
“It’s really disappointing.”
Wozniacki said she would need an exam to determine her next move and her status for future events, notably the Rio Olympics, which opens August 5.
Wozniacki, selected as Denmark’s flagbearer, had to win an appeal to the International Tennis Federation to secure a place in Rio, the ITF saying she had not played enough Fed Cup matches to qualify for Rio. Her homeland’s tennis federation successfully argued the ankle injury limited her ability to play in the event.
At 58th, she is out of the world top 50 for the first time since 2008.
Two-time US Open runner-up Wozniacki struggled last year with an ankle injury and in 2014 after a breakup with former fiancee Rory McIlroy.
Stosur, the 2011 US Open champion, was battling with Wozniacki in the first set when disaster struck the Dane.
“It happened at 5-all in the first set,” Wozniacki said. “I hit a backhand and I just felt the pain.”
The soreness was on the inside of her arm opposite from her elbow, but she kept playing and took the first set, Stosur unaware of Wozniacki’s troubles.
“I could hit a forehand and run a lot of balls down,” Wozniacki said. “She kept hitting to my forehand. As soon as I got a backhand there was a rush of pain.
“At that point, there was nothing I could do.”
Stosur advanced to a quarterfinal against US wildcard Jessica Pegula.
“I’ll take it and try to run with it as far as I can,” Stosur said.
The Aussie said she “couldn’t see anything” but began to notice odd behavoir from Wozniacki.
“She started running around her backhand more than usual, which I thought was kind of odd for Caroline,” Stosur said.
“Sometimes it’s hard to play somebody who is injured. I had to stick with what I thought was working at that point.”

Source: Arab News