Serena Williams’ dominating run at the majors is over. American teenager Sloane Stephens is headed to the semifinals of the Australian Open.

Williams hurt her back in the eighth game of the second set, hampering her serve. She had treatment and recovered well enough to give herself a shot at winning the match, but the 19-year-old Stephens kept her composure in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory on Wednesday.


It was the first loss since Aug. 17 for the 15-time Grand Slam winner, ending a run of 20 consecutive wins. She hadn’t lost a match at a Grand Slam tournament since the French Open, where her first-round exit sparked a resurgence in the second half of 2012 that included titles at Wimbledon, the London Olympics, the U.S. Open and the WTA Championship.

After winning her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, Stephens next plays defending champion Victoria Azarenka.

Williams walked around the net to congratulate Stephens, who then clapped her hand on her racket and waved to the crowd, a look of disbelief on her face.

She then went to her tennis bag, pulled out her phone and started checking for any text messages from her mother.

“I was hoping she had texted me right away. I thought maybe she was texting me during the match,” Stephens said. “I’m sure my grandparents are like freaking out.”

Stephens has said she had a photo of Williams up in her room when she was a child, and had long admired the Williams sisters.

“This is so crazy. Oh my goodness,” Stephens said, wiping away tears in her post-match TV interview. “I think I’ll put a poster of myself (up) now.”

For her part, Williams said the bad back was just another problem to contend with at a Grand Slam event that had been “absolutely” her worst for injuries.

“Everyone at this stage in the locker room has something wrong with them. It’s no excuse,” she said. “I went for this drop shot and it just locked up on me. I couldn’t really rotate after that.

“It was a little painful, but it’s OK.”

Williams was up a set and a break before Stephens settled in. In the eighth game of the second set, Williams was chasing a drop shot to the net when she appeared to jar her back. She needed a medical timeout after the set, and then slowly started to regain the speed in her serve.

But she was clearly frustrated at times, smashing her racket into the court in the third set and then flinging it toward the chairs on the side of the court. She looked to the sky occasionally and yelled at herself.

Azarenka, with her most famous fan sitting in the crowd wearing a shirt reminding her to keep calm, overcame some early jitters to beat Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-5, 6-1 in the earlier quarterfinal match at Rod Laver Arena.

After dropping serve in a long fourth game that went to deuce 10 times, Azarenka recovered to dominate the rest of the match against Kuznetsova, a two-time major winner who was floating dangerously in the draw with a No. 75 ranking as she recovers from a knee injury.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323539804578259130252172560.html
http://ajetun..com/2013/01/video-19-year-old-american-knocks.html

eeyah... win some, lose some. Such is life.

good for her. keep it up. but these girls are big time ajekpakos o

nothing last forever

She has so far made a name. Still in love with the William sisters always.

ok

We can only have current champions, only God is champion all the time.

Is she going to be the new champion? Still watching out

Injury is part of d game. She hates to lose and dat is why I am a big fan.

No comment? Do u want to buy or sell any kind of properties in Abuja pls contact jessywil@yahoo.com

The Sloane lady is also black?

IT'S TIME FOR A NEW KID ON THE BLOCK ! KUDOS - STEPHEN; BUT ALWAYS REMEMBER SAY NA UR BIG SIS SHE BE OOOHH ! RESPECT YA'SEF

NA GLASSES U WEAR SO? ABI U NEED MAKE WE TELL U?

Afam4eva: The Sloane lady is also black?

overdrive: nothing last forever

stephens played very well and not just in this game but in her previous games.she's just coming up in the senior tour but i feel she has a long way to go.she also seems to be good on clay and grass which is good.she beat makarova in france last year and had a 3-set thriller with ivanovic at flushing meadows.lets also not forget she beat laura robson to get to this stage.she's good but not good enough to beat serena at her best.she had a bit of luck with serena's injury which i think got aggravated in the second set.that notwithstanding,i dont see her getting past vicky

Serena and Venus should just retire and start mentoring this babe. She's the future of American Ladies in Tennis and stop smashing a racket becos of a fellow African-American Sister. BTW instead of she and Venus to be training they traveled down here to dance Etighi and Azonto ....wetin u expect hehehehe

I am falling in love with Sloane already,what a sweet girl.

Anything is possible

What a so surprise serena willim

She really played well, thought her nerves wld fail her in the second set which wld,ve seen serena thru to meet azarenka.sweet revenge after losing to serena at the brisbane international.

Hope she doesnt disappoint in the semis,if she makes it thru to the finals,i hope she shuts up noise making sharapova whom i tip to beat li nah

chucky234: I am falling in love with Sloane already,what a sweet girl.

Wake up sir, its already morning

bigtt76: Serena and Venus should just retire and start mentoring this babe. She's the future of American Ladies in Tennis and stop smashing a racket becos of a fellow African-American Sister. BTW instead of she and Venus to be training they traveled down here to dance Etighi and Azonto ....wetin u expect hehehehe

Serena still got a lot in her tank,i think venus should retire now.

It will be nice to see Sloans take Venus's place and play and win a few doubles title with Serena before she retires.

Happy for her,i think Serena should be honoured to have lost to this emerging talent.

So sorry serena, hope you get better next time

sobastical:


Wake up sir, its already morning

Who be this omoko na,wetin come concern sleep inside love
Abegi park well for corner make I dey see road.

Afam4eva: The Sloane lady is also black?

NO she no black,she chocolate
Olodo rabata

I was so impressed with the performance of sloans, though i did not give her any chance prior to the beginning of the match.

In life, we loose some and win some as earlier said by a Nlder. I still believe in Serena, though. She may still be able to add 2 0r 3 grand slam titles to her collection. I love the Williams sis.

As painfull as this was serena showed a lack of sportmanship by breaking her racket and exhibiting such rage.

Why Sloane Stephens do face like who just see Big Pri**k lol ? Serena Bad looser why spoil your Tennis Bath

Tell me how can this girl- Sloane will be just 19years, with this kind of muscles? Becos of playing Tennis. We tend to believe everything about America. Wait till Armstrong die be4 u can be convinced. Hypocrisy of the highest order.

Thank God..Azarenka's nemesis is gone