Venus ousted at Australian Open

Ivanovic takes quarterfinal victory; Henin's streak halted

Serbia's Ana Ivanovic returns a shot to Venus Williams during the Australian Open quarterfinals. Ivanovic won, 7-6 (3), 6-4, today in Melbourne, Australia.

? Venus Williams followed her sister Serena out of the Australian Open in the quarterfinals, both losses at the hands of Serbian players.

Venus went down, 7-6 (3), 6-4, to fourth-seeded Ana Ivanovic today, a day after defending champion Serena lost to No. 3 Jelena Jankovic.

Ivanovic, who had never previously taken a set off Williams, is into the semifinals for the third time at a Grand Slam and next faces first-timer Daniela Hantuchova, who beat Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-2, 6-2.

In the other women’s semifinal Jankovic will meet No. 5 Maria Sharapova, who ended top-ranked Justine Henin’s 32-match winning streak 6-4, 6-0.

After four straight losses to Venus Williams, including the semifinals at Wimbledon and the fourth round at the U.S. Open, the 20-year-old Ivanovic was ecstatic about her latest win in Melbourne.

“It was an amazing match and I’m just thrilled to get through,” the French Open finalist said. “In the last 18 months I’ve come a long way.

“She’s an amazing competitor and she was playing very well today.”

The Williams sisters have 14 singles majors between them, but the hold that they once had on women’s tennis is declining.

“There’s been a lot of talk every single year,” Venus Williams said in response, again, to the question. “I think what’s important to me is what goes on in my head. I’ve been a champion. I have full expectations and aspirations to continue to play high-quality tennis and to continue to be a champion.

“And I think Serena and I, we don’t have anything to prove. We get out there and we play our best … I don’t get too caught up in what the next person thinks.”

Neither Ivanovic nor Williams showed any respect for the other’s serve, with six consecutive breaks in the first set.

Shaking her head and sighing, Williams had 21 unforced errors in the first set to just seven winners as she sprayed the ball all over the court.

She won just one of her five service points in the tiebreaker, covering her face with her hand after netting a straightforward backhand volley to give Ivanovic a 5-2 edge.

Then, after swatting away flies three times as she prepared to serve, Williams hit a swinging backhand volley into the net on set point.

Hantuchova had not been to the second week of a Grand Slam tournament since her quarterfinal exits at three consecutive majors, ending with a loss to Venus Williams in the Australian Open in 2003.