Friday, 16 May, 2008

Top-seeded Serbian Ana Ivanovic suffered her worst defeat of the season on Wednesday when she was upset 6-4 5-7 6-2, by Bulgarian qualifier Tsvetana Pironkova in the second round of the Rome International.

Ivanovic, who was overtaken by Maria Sharapova as the world number two on Monday, had not lost to a player ranked lower than 33rd this season.

The world number 64, Pironkova had never beaten a top-five player prior to stunning Ivanovic. The 20-year-old, who has never won a WTA event, will face unseeded Victoria Azarenka in the third round.

Sharapova, who could soon regain the world number one ranking following the abrupt retirement of Justine Henin on Wednesday, defeated unseeded Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova, 6-2 3-6 6-4.

Seventh-seeded Venus Williams survived the second round with a 6-4 6-1 triumph over unseeded Samantha Stosur. The 27-year-old American - playing for the first time since missing a month with an undisclosed illness - improved to 16-3 at this event, which she won in in 1999.

Her sister, fifth-seeded Serena Williams, also pushed into the third round Wednesday with a decisive 6-2 6-0 win over Alona Bondarenko in just 62 minutes.

The former world number one, who won this event in 2002, is 22-2 this year and has won 17 of 18 matches.

Italian wild card Sara Errani, who upset 11th-seeded Agnes Szavay, is up next for Serena.

Defending champion and fourth seed Jelena Jankovic won her second-round match with Flavia Pennetta, 6-1 6-4, to set up a meeting with unseeded Maria Kirilenko.

Last year's runner-up to Jankovic, third-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova also eased her way into the third round with a 6-2 6-0 win against Olga Govortsova in 56 minutes.

Murray takes comfort from defeat
Federer through to last eight
Davis Cup tie at Wimbledon
Sharapova to replace Henin at the top
Bartoli joins Eastbourne field
Henin announces retirement
Gasquet doubt for Roland Garros
Ivanovic stunned in Rome