Serena upset in opener at Italian Open
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-05-12 08:57

Looking slow and off her usual game, Serena Williams was upset by Italy's Francesca Schiavone 7-6 (2), 6-1 Wednesday in her opening match at the Italian Open.

Serena Williams of the U.S. bows her the head during her tennis match against Italy's Francesca Schiavone during the Italian Masters tennis tournament in Rome May 11, 2005. Schiavone won the match 7-6 6-1.[Reuters]

Williams moved poorly and was overpowered by the 26th-ranked Schiavone, who had her all her shots working.

In the first-set tiebreak, an uninterested-looking Williams didn't even run for a drop shot by Schiavone that gave her a set-point chance.

"I couldn't get my legs moving. It was really weird. I've never felt like this before," Williams said. "I actually had a really good warmup right before the match and I thought everything would come together, but it didn't."

The crowd supported Schiavone and rained whistles down upon Williams, who seemed lethargic throughout the second set.

The loss extended Williams' run of misfortune since winning the Australian Open in January.

She was forced to withdraw from the Paris Indoors in February with a stomach illness before her quarterfinal match.

In March, she retired from her semifinal match with Jelena Jankovic due to a shoulder injury. Then in Miami, she lost to sister Venus for the first time in four years, snapping a six-match winning streak against her sibling.

Last month, Serena sprained her left ankle during her quarterfinal match with Silvia Farina Elia and retired after failing to convert three match points in a second-set tiebreak.

Serena was not planning on playing another tournament before the French Open, which starts May 23, although she said after the loss that she was going to rethink her schedule.

"I didn't expect this to happen," she said.

She had defeated Schiavone in their two previous meetings.

Serena, who used her 2002 Italian Open title as a springboard for her only French Open championship the same year, had reached at least the quarterfinals in each of her five previous appearances here.

Schiavone improved to 8-8 this season. The Italian is still seeking her first career title since turning pro in 1998. Williams has 26 career titles.

Schiavone was forced to withdraw from her first-round match in Warsaw last month with a left thigh strain. She returned to action by beating Meghann Shaughnessy in the first round here Monday. Serena had a first-round bye.

Earlier in the day, Amelie Mauresmo began defense of her Italian Open title Wednesday with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Australian Samantha Stosur.

Fourth-seeded Elena Dementieva, who withdrew from the German Open last week because of a left hip injury, lost 7-5, 6-4 to Gisela Dulko of Argentina in the second round.

Dementieva, runner-up at last year's French and U.S. Opens, has never advanced past the second round in five appearances at the Italian Open.

Seventh-seeded Nadia Petrova cruised past Italian qualifier Mara Santangelo 6-3, 6-1 in her first match since losing the German Open final to Justine Henin-Hardenne on Sunday. Petrova now faces four-time Italian Open winner Conchita Martinez, who beat Israel's Anna Smashnova 3-6, 6-1, 6-1.

Mauresmo, seeded second after reaching the final the last four years, had little trouble with her 55th-ranked opponent.

"It was close at the beginning, then I played a higher level — 6-2, 6-0 is a great way to start this tournament," Mauresmo said. "It's great coming to Rome every year. I feel very comfortable, not only on the court, but in the city as well."

Mauresmo, who is coming off a quarterfinal appearance at the German Open, said she was fully recovered from a five-week layoff with an abdominal muscle injury.

She next faces 13th-seeded Silvia Farina Elia, who rallied from an 0-3 first-set deficit to beat France's Stephanie Cohen-Aloro 6-3, 6-3.

Mauresmo beat Farina Elia here last year in three sets in a rain-delayed quarterfinal.

"I hope the conditions are better this year. It will be a real test for me," Mauresmo said.

Farina Elia has never beaten Mauresmo in six meetings. She is expecting another tough contest.

"I played a good match, though, last year. I remember," Farina Elia said. "I'm in good form physically. I'm really ready for tomorrow."

Also in this $1.3 million clay-court tuneup for the French Open, ninth-seeded Elena Bovina beat Italy's Roberta Vinci 7-5, 6-2; 15th-seeded Ai Sugiyama of Japan beat Venezuela's Maria Vento-Kabchi 6-3, 6-0; and 1997 Italian Open champion Mary Pierce eliminated Sanda Mamic of Croatia, 6-4, 6-4.

Pierce, who won the French Open in 2000, next meets top-seeded Maria Sharapova, who is attempting to take over the No. 1 world ranking this week.

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