Serena Williams was looking to continue her dominance at the Miami Open as she faced Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round. World Number One Williams is on a 20 match winning streak at this event as she aims for a fourth title in a row and a ridiculous ninth overall at her unofficial home tournament. She came in with an 8-2 head-to-head record against the Russian and everybody expected her to prevail as usual.
Kuznetsova serving and looking to force the first set to a tiebreaker. The Russian is a two-time grand slam champion with great power, but Serena takes this point and later the set in a tiebreak.
But she comes apart in the second and Kuznetsova is going to take this with a drop and then claim the frame 6-1.
The third would be similar with Williams already down a break at 2-0. Kuznetsova hammers a forehand winner and Serena has no answers.
We go to match point with Kuznetsova leading 5-2. She picks out the corner and then follows it with a slice. Serena being aggressive but puts too much on this foirehand and sends it long. Ending her streak and tournament with an unexpected early exit.
"I don't think it's appropriate to criticise my movement right now, I did the best that I could. I did the best that I did today, I can't win every match. These players come out and play me like they have never played so hard before in their lives, it was the best I could do today; I have to be 300 percent every day," Williams said.
Second seeded Pole stunned by Swiss in fourth round
It was certainly a day of upsets in Miami as the second seed Agnieszka Radwanska took on Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland.
No surprise in the opening set as Radwanksa in the far court fires a backhand down the line and later takes the frame 6-2.
But her Swiss opponent turns the tables in the second set with an early break that she continues to build on. Radwanksa comes to the net, but Bascinszky blasts a passing shot en route to winning the set 6-4.
And the young Swiss would be even more effective in the decider as she takes this point with a lob the Pole can;t chase down.
We go to match point with Bascinszky leading 5-2. Neither player willing to take chances as they play it down the middle in a baseline battle. Bascinszky then adds some power and Radwanska flubs a forehand and the Swiss pulls off a big three set win.
