By Erik Gudris | Wednesday, May 28, 2014

 

An anticipated meeting between Serena and Venus Williams was canceled after both lost their second round matches at the French Open.

Photo Credit: Peter Staples

A pair of rising WTA stars canceled an anticipated meeting between the sport’s most famous sisters at the French Open as both Serena and Venus Williams lost on Wednesday.

World No. 1 and defending champion Serena Williams found herself swept off Suzanne Lenglen court in the second round by Spain's Garbine Muguruza.

Early on, the 20-year-old Muguruza showed little concern she was facing the top seed as the Spaniard came out firing early. With aggressive returning, Muguruza soon leapt out to a 4-1 lead against a shaky looking Williams. With multiple errors flowing off of Williams' racquet, it allowed Muguruza the opportunity to serve for the set.

With an ace backed up by another big serve, Muguruza closed it out 6-2.

Breaking Williams right away in the second set, the current No. 35 ranked Muguruza showed no signs of letting up as she stood her ground against her opponent in their rallies. By keeping her groundstrokes deep and in the middle, Muguruza forced Williams to go for one extra shot that often resulted in an error.

Williams, falling behind 0-3, looked ready to start her comeback when she broke Muguruza for the first time. But with her mighty serve also letting her down, Williams started showing more and more frustration as she searched for answers. Serving up several double faults in the windy conditions, Williams would hand the break right back to Muguruza for 4-1.

If nerves, or the thought of earning the biggest win of her career, played havoc with Muguruza's mind, the young Spaniard never showed it. Calmly stepping up to the line at 5-2 to serve for the match, Muguruza produced strong serves to reach match point.

A final potent serve from Muguruza clinched the emphatic 6-2, 6-2 win.

Williams, who said she was fine physically, said she really couldn't figure out why her game was not where she wanted it to be.

"It was one of those days. You know, you can't be on every day, and, gosh, I hate to be off during a Grand Slam. It happens, you know. It's not the end of the world. It is what it is."

Williams, giving full credit to Muguruza, promised to return.

"I think she played really well and she played really smart. You know, it's great, because I'm going to go home and work five times as hard to make sure I never lose again."

This is only the second career appearance for Mugurza at the French Open. Earlier in Janaury, she won her first WTA title in Hobart.

Muguruza, who cites Serena as her favorite player, admitted she had to focus on the result and not the player across the net.

"It's very difficult, because since I was a child when I turn on the TV, I see her play. Everything, when I'm practicing, Okay, how Serena serves, how she plays a backhand. I saw like 100 videos of her. But it was really difficult to be able to, okay, be calm, and say, it's another player. But I think I did it, and that was the reason I could play like this."

Just a few hours earlier, No. 29 seed Venus Williams found herself up against it versus another talented youngster in 19-year-old Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia.

Though Williams had beaten the teen earlier this year in Miami, their second round in Paris proved much closer with each player splitting sets.

Schmiedlova took hold of an early break in the third set with strong hitting. While Williams committed multiple errors, she managed to stay in touch with Schmiedlova midway through the set.

Williams threatened to break back at 3-4, but Schmiedlova came up with several clutch passing shots to hold her serve. Schmiedlova would miss on two match point chances while up 5-3.

But the young Slovakian would crack a crosscourt backhand winner up 5-4 on her third match point to seal the 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory.

"This is the biggest win of my life. It's unbelievable," an overwhelmed Schmiedlova said on court later. "I have big respect for her. I still cannot believe I won."

Schmiedlova will now face Muguruza for a spot in the fourth round.

This is now the first time that both Williams Sisters have lost on the same day at the French Open since they both exited the third round back in 2008.

With the loss of No. 2 seed Li Na on Tuesday, this now marks the first time that both top two seeded women have lost before the third round in a Grand Slam.