Serena Williams suffered her first loss since 2012 to a rival outdoors the WTA’s high 100, falling to fellow American Shelby Rogers in a Friday quarter-final on the Top Seed Open. Rogers, ranked 116th, outlasted ninth-ranked Williams 1-6, 6-Four, 7-6 (7/5) after two hours and 7 minutes, ending the 23-time Grand Slam champion with a service winner. “It is each child’s dream rising up to have the ability to do one thing like that,” Rogers mentioned. “Bizarre circumstances. Bizarre environment. However a win is a win.” The US Open hardcourt tuneup event at Lexington, Kentucky, is being staged in a quarantine bubble because of the COVID-19 pandemic that had stored Williams idle since a February Fed Cup look.
High seed Williams had not misplaced to a participant outdoors the highest 100 since falling to France’s Virginie Razzano within the first spherical of the 2012 French Open.
Williams, who ousted sister Venus on Thursday, was enjoying matches to arrange for the US Open, which begins August 31. She is going to search a seventh title on the New York hardcourts to match Margaret Court docket’s all-time file of 24 Grand Slam crowns.
“I’ve solely good issues to take,” Williams mentioned. “I can play lots higher.”
Rogers reached her first WTA semi-final since Rio in 2016. She’ll face 63rd-ranked Swiss left-hander Jil Teichmann, who ousted American Catherine Bellis 6-2, 6-Four.
The opposite semi-final will ship American Jen Brady — who ousted Czech Marie Bouzkova 6-1, 6-2 — towards US teen Coco Gauff, who gained 10 of the final 11 video games to rally previous Tunisian eighth seed Ons Jabeur Four-6, 6-Four, 6-1.
A rain delay of two hours and 45 minutes postponed her match, however Williams confirmed no signal the wait had put the 38-year-old mom off her sport.
Williams broke for a 2-Zero lead by forcing an errant Rogers backhand, broke once more within the sixth sport when Rogers netted a forehand and held on a service winner to say the opening set after solely 26 minutes.
“Undoubtedly a bit overwhelmed within the first with that tempo,” Rogers mentioned of Williams and her highly effective serve. “Tried to hit just a few extra volleys within the second, simply hit yet one more ball.”
Rogers, who by no means confronted a break level within the final two units, broke on her third likelihood within the final sport of the second set when Williams netted a forehand.
Each gamers held serve into the tie-breaker, the place Williams jumped forward Three-1, solely to have Rogers run off 4 straight factors, two on Serena’s serve, to grab the lead for good.
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Williams netted a backhand to provide Rogers two match factors, however saved the primary with a service winner solely to fall when Rogers answered with a service winner of her personal.
Rogers, who will return to the WTA high 100 subsequent week, was in her first quarter-final since Might 2017, due partly to an extended absence after a 2018 left knee damage.
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