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Nadal and Ivanovic suffer shock defeats
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-06-01 10:33

Queen Ana dethroned

In women's singles, Ana Ivanovic was comprehensively beaten by the Belarussian Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 6-3 in the fourth round on Sunday.

It is the first time the 19-year-old has reached the last eight at a Grand Slam event and she will play Russian top seed Dinara Safina for a place in the semifinals.

Nadal and Ivanovic suffer shock defeats

Ana Ivanovic of Serbia attends a press conference after being defeated by Victoria Azarenka of Belarus at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris May 31, 2009. [Agencies]

The 21-year-old Ivanovic, meanwhile, was left pondering what she has to do to re-discover the form that brought her the title and world No.1 spot a year ago.

Azarenka, with three titles to her name this year already, was the first to break thanks to a blistering crosscourt backhand in the third game.

Ivanovic, who has battled for form and fitness since her triumph here last year, had her chances to break back in the following game but failed to take them.

She paid the penalty for that three games later when Azarenka collected a second break of serve forcing her opponent to hit long on break point at the end of a long, punishing rally.

Azarenka, a former world junior No.1, comfortably served out for the set despite opening with a double fault.

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Both players were wearing high-tech strapping on their knees, the right for Ivanovic and the left for Azarenko, a clear sign of the injury epidemic that has beset women's tennis.

Ivanovic was put under severe pressure on her serve again at the start of the second set and after saving a handful of break points she finally succumbed by hitting a forehand a fraction long.

That was all Azarenka needed to further assert her authority in the match with Ivanovic looking increasingly out of sorts and unsure of herself.

The crowd were firmly behind the Serb, but it made no difference as Azarenko jumped out into a commanding 4-0 lead.

Ivanovic did manage to claw two games back to get to 4-2, but Azarenka snuffed out any hope she had of a comeback by breaking the Serbian's serve again in the next game.

She failed to serve out for the match but broke Ivanovic for the sixth time in the match in the following game to go through.