Venus Williams’ celebrated corset went under wraps today, reports the AP, and now it’s out of the French Open. Playing with a long-sleeve top over her black lace outfit on a chilly afternoon, Williams lost in the fourth round to Nadia Petrova, 6-4, 6-3. Williams came into the tournament seeded No. 2 behind her sister Serena, but Petrova spoiled the possibility of a sibling showdown in the final.
Petrova has been a nemesis for the Williams family lately—she beat Serena in the third round at Madrid less than three weeks ago. She controlled rallies with steady play from the baseline and finished strong, a problem for her in the past. Venus converted only one of seven break-point chances. In the second set she lost serve three times after taking a 2-love lead. Petrova, seeded 19th, is a two-time semifinalist, but she’s into the quarterfinals for the first time since 2005. The victory was her first against Williams in their five meetings.
