World No 1 Serena Williams's 27-match unbeaten run ended with a 6-2, 6-3 defeat by Petra Kvitova in the Madrid Open.
If humility was a sign of a true champion then unseeded Czech Petra Kvitova would be in with a real chance of upsetting the odds and beating Serena Williams in their semi-final showdown on Thursday.
Former champion Serena Williams shocked the French Open crowd, and herself, by losing to Virginie Razzano in the first round on Tuesday, her earliest exit from a grand slam in the 47 appearances she has made in an outstanding career.
Serena Williams may be the overwhelming favorite but the World No 1 is anything but a sure bet to win a U.S. Open overflowing with intriguing possibilities.
Clijsters says she hopes she has discovered the "magic formula" to beating the Williams sisters.
Serena Williams did not need the help of a fan-filled Arthur Ashe Stadium to provide a lift during her 7-5, 6-4 win over the 96th ranked Kristie Ahn.
Defending champion Serena Williams was knocked out by Jelena Jankovic in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.
Serena Williams was left all alone trying to crush an unlikely uprising on Wimbledon's hallowed lawns on Tuesday as sister Venus and Kim Clijsters suffered shock defeats in the women's quarter-finals.
Petra Kvitova's hopes of defending her Wimbledon title were shot to pieces in a hail of Centre Court cannon fire from Serena Williams who ousted the defending champion 6-3, 7-5 in their quarter-final on Tuesday.
The American hit back at claims that she exaggerated her calf injury during her dramatic fourth round victory over Daniela Hantuchova.
"The official diagnosis by the doctor was that he was shocked that I was playing this many tournaments in the beginning," Williams said.
Serena Williams is unlikely to win a record equalling 24th Grand slam title on the claycourts of Roland Garros, although her chance will come, the American's long-time coach Patrick Mouratoglou said on Friday.
Serena Williams admitted that a bad back sustained during practice hampered her movement during her shock fourth round loss to Ana Ivanovic on Sunday, but refused to blame the injury for her stunning exit that blew the Australian Open wide open.
Serena Williams continued her smooth lead up to next week's Australian Open with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Vera Dushevina at the Sydney International on Wednesday.
Serena Williams is likely to be out for the rest of the year after she re-injured her right foot from over-training, she said on Sunday.
