Serena Williams Upsets Seeded Santangelo at Aussie Open
Posted on January 15, 2007
Serena Williams, unseeded at the Australian Open after injuries sidelined her for most of 2006, moved into the second round Monday at the Australian Open with a 6-2, 6-1 dismantling of No. 27 seed Mara Santangelo.
"I'm feeling pretty good and I'm excited," Williams told reporters. "I came out to finally do what I'm supposed to do. Last year was a tough year but I have nothing to lose and there's only one way I can move, and that's up."
"Serena looked like she was moving pretty well," said ESPN commentator Pam Shriver on the American who had 10 aces. "Although, let's face it, she still is not in the best shape."
Williams suffered from knee and ankle injuries in 2006, while sister Venus pulled out of the Australian Open citing a chronic wrist injury that some speculate could be career-ending.
In the only other seeded upset of the day, Russian Elena Vesnina came from a set down to beat No. 25 Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-7(7), 6-1, 6-1.
Seeded winners on the day were (2) Amelie Mauresmo (d. Perry), (3) Svetlana Kuznetsova (d. Moore, bagel in the second set), (5) Nadia Petrova (d. Tanasugarn), (7) Elena Dementieva (d. Foretz), (10) Nicole Vaidisova (d. Craybas 6-1 in the third), (11) Jelena Jankovic (d. Wozniak), (14) Francesca Schiavone (d. Kloesel), (16) Shahar Peer (d. Oprandi), (18) Marion Bartoli (d. Dushevina, bagel in the first), (20) Tatiana Golovin (d. Smashnova), (21) Katarina Srebotnik (d. Dellacqua in three), (23) Ai Sugiyama (d. Arvidsson), and (26) Maria Kirilenko (d. Sprem from a set down).
The defending champ Mauresmo dropped her serve in the first set against the American Perry, then again when serving for the match.
"It was some good moments and some moments especially at the end to finish off the match where my mind went out a little bit," Mauresmo said. "I thought I lost some intensity in the end. I probably should have closed it out a little bit quicker, but that's the way it is."
Highlights of winners in unseeded play were Anne Kremer (d. Krajicek) and Gisela Dulko (d. Sun).
Seeded players and other matches of interest scheduled for Tuesday are (1) Sharapova vs. Pin, (4) Clijsters vs. Bardina, (13) Ivanovic vs. King, (6) Hingis vs. Dechy, (24) Stosur vs. Zakopalova, (8) Schnyder vs. Brengle, (9) Safina vs. Bychkova, (32) Daniilidou vs. Nakamura, (15) Hantuchova vs. Cornet, (22) Zvonareva vs. Obziler, (12) Chakvetadze vs. Bammer, (17) Groenefeld vs. Zahlavova, and all-French in Loit vs. Rezai, (30) Garbin vs. Gagliardi, (28) Pennetta vs. Kanepi, (29) A.Bondarenko vs. Cohen-Aloro, and (19) Li vs. Bovina.
Clijsters, a heavy favorite entering the event, is playing her final Australian Open and plans to retire at the end of the year.
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