Pironkova out of this world as Venus humbled

VENUS WILLIAMS flew 15,000km to shop, plug her sponsors and play one tennis match. And as matches go, it was a stinker.

The woman who beat Williams 2-6 6-0 9-7, a teenager dressed like she’d stepped out of a city office for a lunchtime jog, played inspired tennis. She hit her shots and held her nerve. Her name is Tszvetana Pironkova, she is ranked 94, and perhaps she is a player of the future.

For Williams, however, the immediate future is bleak. She might hang around to support her sister Serena in the tournament. She might fly back to Florida to catch up on her final year of fashion school studies. But she won’t be seen on Rod Laver Arena over the next two weeks and the tournament is the poorer for it.

Not for the first time, both Williams sisters have rolled out of bed in the new year, picked up their racquets and tried to win the Australian Open.

Serena arrived overweight and Venus neglected to pack her best game. It is an arrogance that has occasionally served the Williams well, but at other times let them down badly.

“Unfortunately, I haven’t got quite right on hitting my peak here,” Venus said. “I usually do a lot better in March. I wish this tournament was in March.” Then again, perhaps she could prepare better in January.

The other notable first round casualty was ninth seed and two-time grand slam finalist Elena Dementieva, who double-faulted herself out of contention against Germany’s Julia Schruff.

Pironkova grew up in Provdiv, Bulgaria, watching Williams on television. She idolised Venus’s game and admired her achievements.

Yesterday on the Vodafone Arena, she tried to forget who it was standing on the other side of the net. For much of the match, it seemed as though Williams had as well.

If the first set was regulation, the second was an abomination. For all the speculation about Serena’s dietary habits, it is not often that Venus is handed a bagel in a grand slam match, much less in the first round. The third set was tremendous theatre yet throughout, it seemed as though Williams was determined to complete her own humiliation.

Pironkova’s game is built around an adequate serve and stinging forehand. There is not much fuss about how she plays, just a manic determination to get to every ball.

She lost her way late in the deciding set, failing at 5-3 to close out the match on serve. When Williams had her own chance at 6-5, she repaid the favour with a brace of unforced errors. Her final tally was 65 for the match.

For a snapshot of Williams’ afternoon, look no further than two consecutive points in that service game. The first, to save break point, was an extraordinary, full-length lunging forehand volley. The second, to concede the break, was an innocuous forehand which sailed well long.

From there, it only got worse. With Pironkova again serving for the match at 8-7, Williams loped in towards an inviting, half-court ball and promptly batted it into the net to produce match point. She threw her head back in anguish and screamed. It was all Pironkova could do not to laugh.

Pironkova is playing in her first grand slam and had never experienced the din of yesterday’s Vodafone Arena. The first-day crowd broke the tournament’s attendance record and it seemed as though everyone was intent on witnessing Venus’s demise.

Back in Bulgaria, Pironkova’s family were dancing around the TV. Her father and coach Kiril Enchev was too gobsmacked to come to the phone.

As far as Williams could see, there was only one lesson to learn from her loss.

“I think this result is an indication that you cannot make 70 unforced errors and expect to win a match,” Williams said. “Obviously, she benefited from my largesse.”

Which brings us to Serena.

Of the two Williams sisters, it was Serena, amid questions over her fitness, who was considered more vulnerable to an early exit.

Last night against China’s Li Na, Williams needed to move well enough to escape the ignominious fate of her older sister.

For Venus however, there is only the long flight home.