Serena Williams Upsets Nadia Petrova at the Australian Open
Posted by Aaress Lawless on Jan 18, 2007 | Print
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Fifth seed Nadia Petrova said on Thursday that she was not afraid of facing Serena Williams any more, but I’d be willing to venture that she might be singing a different tune now.
After losing the first set 1-6, former world number one Serena Williams stormed back to secure the first berth in the round of sixteen at the 2007 Australian Open.
ESPN has not won themselves any more fans over the past five days, thanks to their selective coverage, but I did get to listen to the match on AO Radio.
Nothing quite beats seeing a match with your own two eyes, but the folks in the commentary booth at Melbourne did a great job calling the match tonight.
After doing her share of the talking before their third round meeting, Nadia Petrova was not able to put her money where her mouth was on Friday.
Nadia was asked before the start of today’s match if she believed that Venus and Serena Williams still instilled their legendary fear in opponents. Nadia did not skip a beat and said that in her opinion, only the youngsters are scared to face a Williams sister across the net, and both girls seemed to be headed towards retirement because their days at the top of tennis were over.
I have to admit, after Serena’s collapse during the first set, I was starting to think that maybe Petrova was doing more than talking big. Serena’s form was off, her shots were spraying all over the court, and she handed Nadia the opening set in less than thirty minutes.
But once again, I learned the hard way that you can never count out one of the Williams’ sisters. Just when you think they are down, and their opponents are hammering the final nail into their coffins, the next minute you see one of them doing a little pirouette and smiling at the crowd at the end of the match.
Petrova raced to a fast lead in the first set 6-1, before Serena was finally able to get back in the match. Williams held a break point for a 4-love lead in the second, but Petrova clawed her way back to get on serve, before Serena managed to win the set without a tie-break 7-5.
The third set was all Serena, especially once Petrova’s mental focus decided to walk away from Rod Laver, and she served out the match - on her first match point - for the 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory.
Serena’s fourth round opponent has not yet been decided, but she will face either Victoria Azarenka or Jelena Jankovic.
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Brant | Jan 18, 2007 | Reply
That was absoloubtely discusting!
How Nadia lost the match is completely beyond me… Being up 6/1 5/3 and with Serena playing as patchy as she was, Nadia should have put the match away in straight sets. Instead, she literally handed Serena the match, barely making her work for it at all… GRR I AM SO BLOODY ANGRY! Serena does NOT deserve to be in the fourth round AT ALL! AAAAAAAGH!
And while I am on the subject of being angry… Stosur lost last night. Worst match she has played in Australia since her second round loss to that Hungarian chick back in 2003!
Lebon | Jan 18, 2007 | Reply
oh well when you don’t deserve a victory you don’t get it. Serena won and I’m glad she did after all the bull nadia was saying about her
aceofc1ubs | Jan 19, 2007 | Reply
Serena won that match fair and square.I admit that nadia had a bit of a collapse in the 3rd set,but so did serena in the first and second sets.In the end,the better player one.
gigi | Jan 30, 2007 | Reply
these girls will never achieve what venus and serena had done.petrova is 24yrs soon to be 25yrs she is not getting any younger.jankovic is not a teenager she is about to turn 22yrs,and people talk about venus and serena as if they are 8oyrs.they still have five yrs to do damage.petrova is not a winner to reach her age without winning a major is pathetic.she has got a brain like a fart.