Kerber advances as Venus ousted in Charleston

Top-seeded Angelique Kerber, the reigning Australian Open champion, powers into the quarter-finals with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over qualifier Kristina Kucova. (Photo source AP/Wilfredo Lee)

LOS ANGELES: Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams will have to wait for a 50th career WTA title after bowing out in the third round of the claycourt tournament in Charleston, South Carolina, on Thursday (Apr 7).

Williams, the third seed, had put together back-to-back wins for the first time since lifting the trophy in Taiwan in February, but was toppled 7-6 (7/5), 2-6, 6-4 by Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva.

The 35-year-old American joined second-seeded Swiss Belinda Bencic, fourth-seeded Lucie Safarova and sixth-seeded Andrea Petkovic out of the tournament.

But top-seeded Angelique Kerber, the reigning Australian Open champion, powered into the quarter-finals with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over qualifier Kristina Kucova. Kerber fired 35 winners and converted seven of her 10 break point chances, staying steady in difficult, windy conditions.

"It was a really tricky match," she said. "It was really windy and it was a completely different condition than before. I played two days ago in the night session, and it was windy, cold. I'm really happy to win the match because she's a tough opponent who had great matches in Charleston. I'm happy to be back here."

Kerber said she was feeling at home on the green clay of Charleston, a good warm-up for the upcoming European claycourt season. "Right now I'm feeling much better on clay again," she said. "Moving feels better. Also, when I hit the balls, I'm feeling the ball, I'm feeling the court."

In other early matches, Russian Elena Vesnina, who ousted Bencic in the second round, reached the quarter-finals with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Spain's Lourdes Dominguez.

Vesnina next plays Germany's Laura Siegemund, who followed up her second-round win over eighth-seeded Madison Keys, with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Croatia's Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.

Third round:

Angelique Kerber (GER) bt Kristína Kucová (SVK) 6-2, 6-3

Daria Kasatkina (RUS) bt Louisa Chirico (USA) 6-0, 6-4

Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) bt Venus Williams (USA) 7-6 (7/5), 2-6, 6-4

Laura Siegemund (GER) bt Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) 7-5, 6-2

Elena Vesnina (RUS) bt Lourdes Domínguez (ESP) 6-1, 6-3