APMOSCOW - Venus Williams was beaten in the opening round for the second time in 12 tournaments this season, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 to Flavia Pennetta of Italy at the Kremlin Cup on Tuesday.
The Wimbledon champion, who also lost in the first round at Memphis in March, dropped to 1-3 against Pennetta.
“I totally came here because I love winning,” the eighth-ranked American said. “I have never won this title, but I just had a day where I could not control my game. She played well.”
Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva, two seeded Russian who have never reached the final of their home event, won their first-round matches.
On the men’s side, where Russians have won nine of the last 11 Cups, the winners included two-time defending champion Nikolay Davydenko and Marat Safin, runner-up to Davydenko in 2006.
Pennetta and the sixth-seeded Williams traded breaks in the first set before the Italian broke decisively on her third chance in the ninth game with a lob.
Williams broke twice in the second set, but dropped serve in the first game of the third and never recovered.
“I think the match was very tough,” said Pennetta, a two-time winner on tour this year. “Venus is always a tough opponent. Today, I was playing my best tennis. My service was working very well. I am very happy with the match.”
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Davydenko, who also won the title in 2004, improved to 16-2 in Moscow.
“I would like to defend my title here, but as usual I’m my worst enemy,” he said.
Robby Ginepri of the United States beat Jiri Vanek of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-4 and eighth-seeded Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia held off Russian qualifier Alexandre Kudryavtsev 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6).
Former U.S. Open champion Kuznetsova earned a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Li Na of China, who ended Serena Williams’ reign as No. 1 last week in Stuttgart.
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Seventh-seeded Zvonareva ousted Maria Kirilenko 6-4, 6-4 and Ekaterina Makarova beat Elena Vesnina 7-6 (4), 7-6 (1) in all-Russian matches.
In another men’s match, Uzbek qualifier Denis Istomin upset sixth-seeded Michael Llodra 7-6 (2), 6-3 in only his second ATP match.
The 121st-ranked Istomin will face French veteran Fabrice Santoro in the second round.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
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