 Former Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova will meet Germany's Andrea Petkovic in a fourth round match-up at the Australian Open. AP photo |
American Venus Williams retired hurt with a muscle strain after just one game of her Australian Open third round match against Germany's Andrea Petkovic, while former champion Maria Sharapova advanced to the fourth round on Friday.
The seven-time Grand Slam winner screamed in pain and stopped playing while receiving at 0-1 down, after being broken in the first game. She limped to her chair and quickly conceded defeat after seeing a trainer.
Petkovic was stunned at the retirement by Williams, her first in 251 Grand Slam matches. Williams had needed treatment to a psoas muscle, which runs from the abdomen to the groin, in her previous match.
"I am very surprised she retired," said the German. "I saw she got injured in her last game but she finished that match so I figured she was going to play tonight."
Petkovic has now reached the last 16 at a Grand Slam for the second time in succession. She was beaten at the same stage of the 2010 US Open by eventual runner up Vera Zvonareva.
She will take on Sharapova in the fourth round.
Sharapova reached the fourth round when she edged out German Julia Goerges in a three-set thriller 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Friday.
But Sharapova, who won the title in 2008, was forced to dig deep to see off the unheralded German in 2hr 29mins.
Goerges had outplayed the ex-world number one throughout the first set and pushed her to the limit in the second.
When Sharapova secured two early breaks to start the deciding set, Goerges refused to give in, fighting hard to get one break back and put the pressure on Sharapova.
But the 16th seeded Russian kept her composure as she served out the match to move into the last 16.
It was Sharapova's second close match in a row following her three-set win over Virginie Razzano in the second round.
"Like I said after the second round, it's good for me to have a tough match. We had those really tough games where I had to pull it out and find a way to win, even though my opponent was playing really well," Sharapova said.
"Today was a little bit the same thing, a little more up and down. You know, just unable to convert that break.
"But overall the most important thing is that I fought really well today and I found a way to play better."
Sharapova is still looking to recapture the form that took her to three Grand Slam titles and the number one ranking in 2005.
She had a shoulder operation in October 2008 and has struggled to make an impact since then, although she said she was feeling better as the week went on.
"Throughout the last two matches I felt really good fitness-wise," she said.
"I didn't feel tired, didn't feel like I was losing the points because I didn't get there. Fitness wise, I think it's really important. The more matches I play the better I will feel.
"You can't get better on the court moving and being in different parts of the court without playing matches. It's impossible."
The seven-time Grand Slam winner screamed in pain and stopped playing while receiving at 0-1 down, after being broken in the first game. She limped to her chair and quickly conceded defeat after seeing a trainer.
Petkovic was stunned at the retirement by Williams, her first in 251 Grand Slam matches. Williams had needed treatment to a psoas muscle, which runs from the abdomen to the groin, in her previous match.
"I am very surprised she retired," said the German. "I saw she got injured in her last game but she finished that match so I figured she was going to play tonight."
Petkovic has now reached the last 16 at a Grand Slam for the second time in succession. She was beaten at the same stage of the 2010 US Open by eventual runner up Vera Zvonareva.
She will take on Sharapova in the fourth round.
Sharapova reached the fourth round when she edged out German Julia Goerges in a three-set thriller 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Friday.
But Sharapova, who won the title in 2008, was forced to dig deep to see off the unheralded German in 2hr 29mins.
Goerges had outplayed the ex-world number one throughout the first set and pushed her to the limit in the second.
When Sharapova secured two early breaks to start the deciding set, Goerges refused to give in, fighting hard to get one break back and put the pressure on Sharapova.
But the 16th seeded Russian kept her composure as she served out the match to move into the last 16.
It was Sharapova's second close match in a row following her three-set win over Virginie Razzano in the second round.
"Like I said after the second round, it's good for me to have a tough match. We had those really tough games where I had to pull it out and find a way to win, even though my opponent was playing really well," Sharapova said.
"Today was a little bit the same thing, a little more up and down. You know, just unable to convert that break.
"But overall the most important thing is that I fought really well today and I found a way to play better."
Sharapova is still looking to recapture the form that took her to three Grand Slam titles and the number one ranking in 2005.
She had a shoulder operation in October 2008 and has struggled to make an impact since then, although she said she was feeling better as the week went on.
"Throughout the last two matches I felt really good fitness-wise," she said.
"I didn't feel tired, didn't feel like I was losing the points because I didn't get there. Fitness wise, I think it's really important. The more matches I play the better I will feel.
"You can't get better on the court moving and being in different parts of the court without playing matches. It's impossible."
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