Wimbledon - Women: Sharapova in shock exit

Eurosport - Fri, 27 Jun 09:00:00 2008

Third seed Maria Sharapova was sensationally beaten 6-2 6-4 by fellow Russian Alla Kudryavtseva in the second round at Wimbledon.

TENNIS Maria Sharapova Wimbledon 2008 - 0

The 2004 champion's game fell apart against one of the lesser lights of the powerful Russian brigade at the grasscourt grand slam and she followed men's third seed Novak Djokovic out of the tournament early.

Sharapova's defeat registered higher up the shock scale than Djokovic's battering by former world number one Marat Safin 24 hours earlier because the 20-year-old Kudryavtseva is ranked 154th in the world and has never made a mark at a grand slam.

Sharapova, also a former number one, served atrociously throughout the match and many of her eight double faults came at crucial moments.

The last one gave Kudryavtseva a match point which she grabbed with both hands, pummelling a forehand into the corner before shrieking with delight at the biggest triumph of her unspectacular career.

A woeful smash into the net put her in trouble in her opening service game and although she escaped on that occasion the warning signs were flashing when she again had to save break points two games later.

At 2-3, 30-30 Sharapova gave Kudryavtseva yet another opportunity after serving a double fault and this time she was not so lucky, slipping 4-2 behind after being wrong-footed.

Serving to stay in the set at 2-5 Sharapova offered little resistance as Kudryavtseva, whose father was a world champion Greco-Roman wrestler, closed it out in 32 minutes with a nerveless forehand into an empty court.

Sharapova spluttered briefly back to life to lead 2-0 in the second set but the retaliation fizzled out with the loss of the next four games. Sharapova clawed back to 4-4 but when she served at 4-5 even a lucky net cord failed to help her as Kudryavtseva showed remarkable coolness to finish the job.

Meanwhile, British number one Anne Keothavong gave reigning champion Venus Williams a real test in their second round contest at Wimbledon.

Keothavong looked right at home on Centre Court, before eventually succumbing 7-5 6-2.

Williams started strongly and secured an early break of serve in the second game, but Keothavong hit back to secure an immediate break back in the next game after a double fault from the American had given the Brit a break point.

The next two games were extremely tight - lasting 30 minutes in total - with Keothavong matching her opponent for work-rate and speed around the court, but she was not able to take advantage of a series of break points, enabling Williams to keep her nose in front.

There was a grim sense of inevitability as Williams secured the first set 7-5 after Keothavong sent a succession of hurried backhands into the net, and Williams went on to take the second set by six games to two after breaking in the fourth game.

Indian number one Sania Mirza's Wimbledon challenge fizzled out as she was beaten 6-0 4-6 9-7 by Maria Martinez Sanchez.

Mirza, who had wrist surgery in April, had been expected to defeat Martinez Sanchez as the Spaniard had never won a match at the grasscourt grand slam until this week.

But with the 32nd seed spraying shots all around the court, it was Martinez Sanchez who made a storming start, racing to a 6-0 3-1 lead on a sun-baked Court 11.

Just when it looked as though the 21-year-old Indian would wilt in the heat, she reeled in the errors to steal the second set.

Trading pounding groundstrokes from the baseline, there was little to separate the duo in the decider. They went neck and neck until Martinez Sanchez pounced in the 15th game to earn the decisive break.

Holding her nerve, the 25-year-old Spaniard served out for victory to earn a third round date with defending champion Venus Williams.

The defeat ended Mirza's hopes of reaching the third round here for the first time.

French Open runner-up Dinara Safina moved comfortably into the third round with a 6-3 6-2 defeat of Taiwan's Hsieh Su-Wei .

A day after older brother Marat stunned second seed Novak Djokovic, Safina overpowered her slender opponent with some bruising baseline play.

Ninth seed Safina took a while to find her range but from 3-3 in the first set she had too much firepower for her opponent and raced to victory in exactly one hour.

Safina now has a chance to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon for the first time at her sixth attempt when she faces Israel's Shahar Peer.

Jelena Jankovic romped into the third round at Wimbledon with a 6-1 6-3 win over Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro.

A day after her fellow Serb Ana Ivanovic came within a point of being knocked out, Jankovic made sure she avoided any such drama and produced an efficient victory over the 19-year-old Wimbledon debutante.

The second seed will next face Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki as she bids to reach the last 16 for the third year running.

Russian fifth seed Elena Dementieva avoided following compatriot Sharapova after battling past Swiss teenager Timea Bacsinszky 4-6 6-3 6-3 in a second round tie.

The 26-year-old Dementieva, with nine career titles to her name but still looking for a grand slam breakthrough, appeared in trouble when the 19-year-old Bacsinszky led 3-0 in the deciding set.

But Dementieva, a quarter-finalist in 2006, lifted her game against the world ranked 71 to avert another shock after Sharapova's loss to Kudryavtseva earlier in the day.

Dementieva now takes on Argentine Gisela Dulko.

Tom Williams / Eurosport / Reuters

Comment 23 - 42 of 42

Sort comments by: Most recent | Most rated

  1. Rob...LOL:))Maria too:)) these 2 should play with Ancici and Rodick.. these ones play tough like Maria and Serena. Maybe they should go and play box:)) they hit good:)) BOOM BOOM:))

    From Pitic, on Sat 28 Jun 9:49AM

  2. serinna should play in the men:)

    From robsterlobster@ymail.com, on Fri 27 Jun 10:44PM

  3. Hey dont blame Sharapova I dont understaint why all of the "fans" are saying that everyone hates her!!!I love her even she lost in the 2rd....But the only thing that Sharapova should work on in her focus if and dont underestimate her opponents!!!But im glad that Ivanovic Lost to in the 3rd round and I hope Now Serena or Venus will win this Tournament:D:D:D

    From First Namemilot S, on Fri 27 Jun 9:11PM

  4. Come on..she always blame something:))she has already a couple of "bad days" in his words.. we already heard that so many times, right? The fact is that she doesn t show great tennis, she doesn t have ideas to beat without serving perfect. If she doesn't feel right for playing...she just might to stay home...And that 's her place for sure,if she left the tournament ;)

    From Pitic, on Fri 27 Jun 7:30PM

  5. Have any of you who keep going on about Mashas grunt ever heard a Moto GP bike on full song? Now that's what i call LOUD!!! Wasn't Marias day, and like the great and honest sportsperson that she is she admitted it and congratualed her opponent. The Queen of Australia will be back, no doubt about it.

    From phil.robinson46, on Fri 27 Jun 7:06PM

  6. wow!
    i read a few of the latest posts and i saw that hardley any1 likes her
    more people are happy that she is out than sad coz she lost.
    im with the happy people
    i dont like her either
    the thing i want to know is why do tennis fans (and i mean people that appreciate tennis, and not just a hot chick that moans during a game) hate her so much?
    in my opinion its because she doesnt have the carisma.
    she only about the win and no people skills whatsoever!
    they all are about winning, but she doesn look like she enjoys what she does, and that pisses me off!
    well then to end this all i will just say
    woooooooooopie!!!!!
    sharapova is out!

    From robsterlobster@ymail.com, on Fri 27 Jun 5:13PM

  7. hi aelgran, in one of your comments, you said it just wasnt her day,,,,,when will that day be??? lets see.uh...uh. she has won a grandslam every even year, 04, 06, 08, so then i suggest you as a fan go to sleep and wake up in 2010 and she will win one grandslam...hahahha

    From mohammed l, on Fri 27 Jun 3:15PM

  8. no...no... lets not go into racial lines here.....
    its all about who you support and who you dont.
    i for one dont like sharapova for the fact that she is not a consistent player,,,,,,every begining of a grandslam , she likes to brag about the types of serves she is gonna come up with as well as the style of play.
    i was actually surprised she won the aussie open and i thought wow this girl means bussiness and now........i figured it out that she is more of a fluker.
    if she was a great tennis player as some of you think, at least she would have made it to the last 4 in every grandslam....but getting chucked out in the 2nd round!!!!!!hahhahahahahah

    From mohammed l, on Fri 27 Jun 3:11PM

  9. Come on..Maria 's place...is not in TENNIS! She's too much agressive for this sport. She could have practice any other sport, where she can use her force and strength like she is doing in tennis. Anyway she's tall enough and let's be honest....Her winning are because her strength is high. Screamins...HAHA, les s be serious, she could not win without that. And without force. Talent...hm,i doubt. If it's to play longer... she loose. She only like to serve good and return the ball in tha same way. That's all.

    From ella939@ymail.com, on Fri 27 Jun 3:05PM

  10. @aelgran
    wtf are you on about? You're the one most full of hate. Racial hate. Why would Serbs hate Sharapova, a Russian? Russians are our brothers and no matter in what, sport or anything, we would not say @#$% about Russians.

    From aleksicn93, on Fri 27 Jun 2:33PM

  11. who`s rude now :) you are all the same....... :)

    From assolato, on Fri 27 Jun 2:24PM

  12. most of the peple in the world have got issues? u must be unique if you haven't, what;s ur secret stupidity?

    From isabellet_is, on Fri 27 Jun 2:13PM

  13. some of you r so rude about Maria, leave her alone and go get a life. I wonder how many of you can achieve what she has at her age. Loosers.......... Haters.......... you can give your opioion but you all don't have to be so damn rude!!

    From isabellet_is, on Fri 27 Jun 2:03PM

  14. hahahahahha aelgran it looks like you are the biggest hater here.... you really got issues hahahhahahha

    From assolato, on Fri 27 Jun 2:01PM

  15. well tell me what defines a great player!!!!! some one who wins one grandslam every 2 years!!!!??????@@@@@
    klets face it she's just there to bring some sense of fashion and looks in the tournament otherwise her game is @#$%!!!!!!!
    glad to see her off lets hope she is on the next flight out and maybe she will head to her little tea house and watch the tennis greats play upto the finals....hahha

    From mohammed l, on Fri 27 Jun 1:26PM

  16. Whatever you haters say, Sharapova still is a great player (it just wasn't her day). You talked much about how you hate her loud grunts, but i know that's just because you are Serbs' or Williams' fans!!! Or simply because you're just jealous of her!!! Jeez, i wonder what would you guys even think if i say... Ana is the most boring to watch in tennis and has the dumbest fist pump, Serena has always been a she-male, Venus has the baddest fashion taste (cheerleader outfit), Jelena is so self-pity, ho-hum...

    From aelgran, on Fri 27 Jun 10:36AM

  17. Whatever you haters say, Sharapova still is a great player (it just wasn't her day). You talked much about how you hate her loud grunts, but i know that's just because you are Serbs' or Williams' fans!!! Or simply because you're just jealous of her!!! Jeez, i wonder what would you guys even think if i say... Ana is the most boring to watch in tennis and has the dumbest fist pump, Serena has always been a she-male, Venus has the baddest fashion taste (cheerleader outfit), Jelena is so self-pity, ho-hum...

    From aelgran, on Fri 27 Jun 10:35AM

  18. one grunter down, a couple too go. maria is a top pro and a great player, she will bounce back and i will continue to enjoy watching her games (albeit with the mute button on). lets just hope she doesn't follow kournakova too much further down the road to fashion show mediocrity.......

    From bman, on Fri 27 Jun 10:07AM

  19. she is a screaming cat! lol, but seriously its really annoying when someone is doing that, you can grunt but not scream!!! thats why she had to lose - Sharapova

    From seabass, on Fri 27 Jun 9:01AM

  20. after the retirment of hingis , clijters & henin . the williams sisters & davenport get older the women tennis become weak & boring!!!!!

    From hmb222000, on Fri 27 Jun 8:44AM
Sort comments by: Most recent | Most rated

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account