CHARLESTON (South Carolina), April 5: In a clash of former world number ones, Venus Williams toppled seventh-seeded Jelena Jankovic 7-5, 6-0 on Wednesday setting up a battle with Anastasia Rodionova in the third round of the WTA’s green clay Charleston tournament.
Third-seeded Marion Bartoli of France found the going much tougher, but persevered to get past Russian Vera Dushevina 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 in a second-round match lasting more than three hours.
Bartoli next faces Slovenia’s Polona Hercog, a 6-3, 6-2 winner over American Varvara Lepchenko.
Russian Nadia Petrova, the 13th seed, saved two match points en route to a 2-6, 7-6, 6-2 victory over US veteran Jill Craybas, a qualifier.
Sixth-seeded German Sabine Lisicki, who claimed her first WTA Tour title at Charleston in 2009, rallied to beat Czech Andrea Hlavackova 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Lisicki next faces Yaroslava Shvedova, who upset 12th-seeded Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-2, 7-6 (7/2).
Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak handled Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 7-6, 6-2 while number nine Lucie Safarova brushed aside Mirjana Lucic 6-2 6-0 in under an hour.
In other matches, Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan defeated Argentine qualifier Paula Ormaechea 6-2, 6-3 to set up a third-round clash with Samantha Stosur.
New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic earned a third-round meeting with Serena Williams by defeating Anna Tatishvili 7-5, 6-3.
Results (prefix denotes seeding):
Second round: 3-Marion Bartoli (FRA) bt Vera Dushevina (RUS) 6-2, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4; 14-Polona Hercog (SLO) bt Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 6-3, 6-2; 13-Nadia Petrova (RUS) bt Jill Craybas (US) 2-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-2; Stefanie Voegele (SUI) bt Lucie Hradecka (CZE) 6-4, 6-4; Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) bt Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) 7-6 (7/5), 6-2; 9-Lucie Safarova (CZE) bt Mirjana Lucic (CRO) 6-2, 6-0; 6-Sabine Lisicki (GER) bt Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4; Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) bt 12-Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 6-2, 7-6 (7/2); 17-Marina Erakovic (NZL) bt Anna Tatishvili (GEO) 7-5, 6-3; Venus Williams (US) bt 7-Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 7-5, 6-0; Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) bt Paula Ormaechea (ARG) 6-2, 6-3.—AFP