Venus Forced to Retire From Third Round Match at Austrailian Open

Venus Williams lasted just seven points in her third-round match at the 2011 Australian Open in Melbourne, forced to withdraw due to injury. After losing the first game to Andrea Petkovic of Germany and trailing 30-0 in the second, Williams stretched to her right to return a serve, hit the ball and then cried out in pain clutching toward her stomach on her right side. It was soon clear that she couldn’t continue. Her right thigh was already heavily bandaged from an injury she sustained in the first set of her second-round match Wednesday, when she beat Sandra Zahlavova in three sets. Afterward, Williams said the injury was in her "psoas" muscle, which flexes the hip and spinal column.

Justine Henin, the 2010 Austrailian Open finalist, was beaten by two-time Grand Slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-4, 7-6 (8), in a mild third-round upset. It was Henin’s first loss in a major to Kuznetsova, the former French and U.S. Open champion, and her worst run at a Grand Slam event since Wimbledon in 2005. French Open champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy also won, defeating Monica Niculescu of Romania, 6-0, 7-6 (2).
Schiavone and Kuznetsova, who will play each other next in the fourth round, had what Kuznetsova called a misunderstanding after a Fed Cup match won by Italy over Russia.

Number one-seeded Caroline Wozniacki won her third round match, 6-4, 6-3, over Dominika Cibulkova. Maria Sharapova, who won the 2008 Australian women’s title, survived a battle with Julia Goerges of Germany, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. Ninth seeded Li Na of China, who reached the semifinals last year before losing in two tie-breaker sets to eventual champion Serena Williams, advanced 6-2, 6-1 over Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.

On the men’s side, Roger Federer was back to his vintage self, knocking off Xavier Malisse in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1, in a match that took just one hour, 45 min. to complete. The win was an Open era-record 57th match win for Federer at the Australian Open, breaking Stefan Edberg’s record. While the defending champion also won in straight sets in his opening-round match against Lukas Lacko, he was extended to five tough sets against Gilles Simon in the second round, a near five-hour match that Federer said he was relieved to survive. Federer will play Tommy Robredo, who beat the Ukraine’s Sergiy Stakhovsky, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.

Andy Roddick overcame a slow start before powering to victory with 32 aces to beat Robin Haase in four sets, 2-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-2. In defeat, Hasse still maanged to make the shot of the tournament so far, chasing down a Roddick lob and hitting a flick backhand over the net while facing the back of the court. Haase won the point two shots later. Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland beat 12th-seeded Gael Monfils of France, 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-3. Wawrinka will play Roddick in the fourth round.

Novak Djokovic only had to play one set in the third round to advance. The 2008 Australian Open champion was leading Viktor Troicki 6-2 when his Serbian Davis Cup teammate retired due to a stomach muscle strain. Djokovic will now play number 14 Nicolas Almagro, who beat number 17 Ivan Ljubicic, 6-4, 7-6 (8), 6-3.

Ninth-seeded Fernando Verdasco advanced with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 win over Kei Nishikori of Japan and will play Tomas Berdych in the fourth round. The sixth-seeded Berdych beat Richard Gasquet of France 6-2, 7-6 (3), 6-2.

For more information, visit www.australianopen.com.