Hlavackova Upsets Kirilenko In Third Round Of US Open
NEW YORK (AP) — Doubles specialist Andrea Hlavackova has reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam singles tournament in her U.S. Open debut.
The 82nd-ranked Czech collapsed to the court after Maria Kirilenko's last shot landed wide for a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 win Saturday. Tears streamed down her face during her post-match interview.
A 2011 French Open doubles champion, Hlavackova lost in U.S. Open singles qualifying five times. The 26-year-old reached a career-best singles ranking in August.
She had never advanced past the second round at a Grand Slam event before this week or defeated a top-20 opponent in a completed match before beating the 14th-seeded Russian on Saturday.
Her next opponent: Serena Williams. This will be their first singles meeting, though Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka lost to the Williams sisters in the Olympic doubles final.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
