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Top seed Ivanovic crashes to defeat in Rome

14/05/2008

Top seed Ana Ivanovic has been knocked out in the second round of the Italian Open by Tsvetana Pironkova.

The world number 64 caused the shock of the round by beating Ivanovic 6-4 5-7 6-2.

Ivanovic was far from her best and struggled in the first set. Having dropped her serve twice in the opening stages she saved five set points to force her way back to 5-4. However, Pironkova eventually sealed the first set at her sixth attempt.

Neither player was able to gain any momentum in the second set as they both broke serve twice before Ivanovic made a vital third breakthrough at the end of the set.

The world number three then served out the set to get back to parity. At that stage it looked as if the 20-year-old would be able to build on her form at the end of the second set but Pironkova had other ideas.

Pironkova dominated the deciding set, brushing Ivanovic aside 6-2 to set up a third round match against wild card Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.

Elsewhere, Venus Williams eased past Samantha Stosur 6-4 6-1 and she will now face Vera Zvonereva after the Russian battled past Iveta Benesova 7-5 4-6 7-5.

Defending champion Jelena Jankovic made light work of her second round match, beating Italian Flavia Pennetta 6-1 6-4, while Serena Williams marked her return from injury with a comprehensive 6-2 6-0 win over Alona Bondarenko.