2021 French Open: Serena Williams gets knocked out
23-time women's singles Grand Slam champion Serena Williams has suffered an exit from the 2021 French Open. The veteran tennis star was beaten in straight sets by 21-year-old Elena Rybakina. Serena lost the match 3-6, 5-7 as her quest for an elusive 24th Grand Slam continues for the fourth year running. Elsewhere, Victoria Azarenka bowed out after a three-set encounter. Here's more.
Rybakina's power and depth were too much for Serena to handle. The American tried to lift her level in the second set but Rybakina stood tall. Serena has become the latest top-10 seed to depart the women's singles. This was the first career meeting between the two. Her next chance to equal Court's record comes at Wimbledon, starting June 28.
Serena claimed 59% win on the first serve and just 43% on the second. Her opponent Rybakina converted five breakpoints. Rybakina also had the better numbers in terms of points won (66). She also had the edge over Serena in terms of service points won (48). Rybakina won eight service games and had 13 games win.
Serena, who has won the French Open three times, hasn't gone past the fourth round here at Roland Garros since she was the runner-up in 2016. This was her second fourth-round exit across the last four editions of the tournament. Serena suffered her 14th loss at the French Open. She now has a win-loss record of 69-14.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova reached her maiden French Open quarter-final for a decade by beating former world number one and 15th seed Azarenka 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday. "It's really incredible I'm still playing tennis 10 years later," said the 29-year-old Pavlyuchenkova. Her last Roland Garros quarter-final came in 2011 as she lost against Francesca Schiavone.
Spain's in-form player Paula Badosa booked her place with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 win over 2019 Czech finalist Marketa Vondrousova. She will face Tamara Zidansek in the quarter-finals. It is a maiden Slam quarter-final appearance for Zidansek after the Slovenian beat Romania's Sorana Cirstea 7-6, 6-1. "I came out on court prepared and it was a battle," the 23-year-old Zidansek said.
