Serena Williams suffers stunning upset in Top Seed Open quarterfinals
A day after pulling out a hard-fought victory over her older sister, Serena Williams again found herself embroiled in a bruising battle. This time, she didn’t survive the fight.
Shelby Rogers, a 27-year-old American who is No. 116 in the world in the Women’s Tennis Association rankings, pulled off a stunning upset, winning a third-set tiebreaker to knock off Williams, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5), in the quarterfinals of the Top Seed Open at Top Seed Tennis Club in Nicholasville on Friday.
After her victory in the round of 32 that set up the match with Williams, Rogers said she was ecstatic about her first matchup with the 23-time Grand Slam champion. On Friday, she made the most of the opportunity.
“It’s every kid’s dream when they’re growing up watching her play,” Rogers said in an interview on the Tennis Channel following her third career victory over a top-10 opponent. “To be able to do something like that … weird circumstances, weird setting; but, you know, a win is a win and I know we’re all just happy to be back playing.”
Williams, who entered the Top Seed Open as the No. 1 seed and the ninth-ranked player in the world, appeared to be in line for an easy walk into the semifinals early on. She needed just 26 minutes to capture the first set in dominant fashion.
But the script flipped in the second set. With things knotted at 4-4, Rogers blasted back-to-back service aces to take command. From that point on, Williams was playing catch up.
A day after going toe-to-toe with Venus Williams in a three-set win, Serena appeared to lose steam down the stretch against Rogers. At one point during the third set, she leaned against a wall adjacent to the court and took several deep breaths before returning to action. Williams confirmed that playing two long matches on consecutive days took a toll, but blamed herself for not closing out Rogers when she had the chance.
“Yeah (it was tough), but I (did that) to myself. I had an opportunity to possibly win in straight sets,” Williams told the media in a post-match Zoom teleconference. “So I kind of made it difficult on myself by making a plethora of unforced errors.”
Rogers will meet Jil Teichmann in the semifinals on Saturday.
Teichmann fends off Bellis
Teichmann was the first player to advance to the semifinals of the Top Seed Open. The 23-year-old from Switzerland, who is No. 63 in the WTA rankings, knocked off 21-year-old American Catherine “CiCi” Bellis 6-2, 6-4, in Friday’s first quarterfinal contest. The tightly contested second set ended just before rain moved into the area and delayed the Williams-Rogers match.
Teichmann dominated for much of the afternoon, at one point winning eight straight games. But Bellis, ranked No. 181, refused to go quietly. With Teichmann ahead 5-3 in the second set, Bellis turned back nine match points to draw within 5-4.
“That was a really long game, obviously my nerves came a little bit up,” Teichmann told the media during a post-match Zoom teleconference. “CiCi was playing without any fear, nothing to lose. So she was putting a lot of pressure (on me).”
Like the rest of the field, Teichmann has had to adjust to a competitive environment void of fans. No spectators are allowed at the Top Seed Open because of the coronavirus pandemic, so matches are being played on the facility’s outdoor courts in front of a small number of tournament staff and members of the players’ entourages.
Teichmann said the adjustment has not been especially difficult, but she definitely misses the sensation of playing in front of a crowd.
“There are two sides. On one side I’m used to practice without any spectators … I mean, I’m not Serena (who) plays every time with a full crowd,” Teichmann said. “On the other side I really love to play with the public, with spectators, because they give me a lot of energy. It’s what I practice for, to play in front of a crowd that enjoys the game.
“Obviously, I’d love to have that situation again, but everyone has to just accept what the situation is.”
Brady breezes
While Williams and Rogers were busy battling on center court, Jennifer Brady was dominating her matchup on court No. 2.
The 25-year-old American breezed past Marie Bouzkova 6-1, 6-2, to reach the semifinals. The left-hander will meet either No. 8 seed Ons Jabeur or teen sensation Coco Gauff in the semifinals on Saturday. Jabeur and Gauff were scheduled to face off in the final quarterfinal match of the tournament Friday night.
Second helping
In Thursday’s second round, Serena Williams and Venus Williams delivered some compelling drama in the 31st singles contest between the legends, with younger sister Serena coming out on top in a marathon match that last two hours and 19 minutes.
But that showdown was not the first time they took the court in central Kentucky.
Back in 2004 the Williams sisters participated in a charity event in Rupp Arena. A day after taking in a University of Kentucky men’s basketball game, where they combined to form the ceremonial “Y” on the arena floor, they played some tennis in front of a crowd of 4,500.
Venus, who was 24 at the time, dominated a singles exhibition match against a rehabbing Anna Kournikova, winning 6-3, 6-2. Then, Venus and Brenda Schultz-McCarthy defeated Serena and Kournikova in a one-set doubles exhibition.
UK basketball legend Jamal Mashburn also participated. Between the matches, he hit the court and attempted to return a handful of serves from Venus. After a delighted crowd watched the Monster Mash chop most of Venus’ vicious serves into the net, Mashburn yelled to the fans, “I’ve got a bad knee,” according to the Herald-Leader’s John Clay, who covered the event.
“It was great. It was a blast. We had a great time,” Serena said of the weekend during a quick press conference before the sisters rushed off to catch a flight. “To have so many people show up; we’re excited about the whole thing.”
During the event, Venus showed off some savvy public relations skills.
“Most of all, I have to admit that I have really fallen in love with Kentucky basketball,” Venus told the crowd. “We hope to get back for another game.”
No word if the sisters ever made it back to Kentucky to watch the basketball Wildcats, but their return to tennis competition in the Bluegrass State delivered a classic.
Top Seed Open
At Top Seed Tennis Club in Nicholasville
Saturday’s semifinals matchups
▪ Shelby Rogers vs. Jil Teichmann
▪ Jennifer Brady vs. No. 8 Ons Jabeur or Cori “Coco” Gauff
This story was originally published August 14, 2020 at 6:28 PM.
