The bottom half of the women’s bracket completed the second round on Day 3 of the 2013 Australian Open, and the most significant shakeup came when Aussie Sam Stosur lost to Zheng Jie. The No. 9 Stosur fell 4-6, 6-1, 5-7 to the underdog from China, ending her stay in Melbourne early. Zheng Jie moves on to face Julia Goerges in the third round.
2013 Australian Open bracket update: Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams to meet in 3rd round
While local favorite Sam Stosur was upset in the second round, the bottom of the women’s bracket will feature a third round meeting between Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams.
Quinn Rooney
The biggest development in the women’s draw happened at the very bottom of the bracket on Wednesday, as both Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova advanced to set up a third-round clash. Venus, who’s still working her way back from and dealing with Sjogren’s Syndrome, did not lose a set in her first two matches. Now, she will face the No. 2 Sharapova, who has yet to lose a single game in her first two matches. Venus is not the same player she once was, but she is 2-0 against Sharapova at the slams.
No. 5 Angelique Kerber is at the other end of Sharapova’s portion of the bracket, and she’ll face American Madison Keys in the third round. Keys, who is just 17 years old, is a wild card entry who has won her first two matches in straight sets.
Aga Radwanska, Li Na, and Ana Ivanovic were three of the other big names advancing on Day 3. Radwanska will face Britain’s Heather Watson next, while Ivanovic gets Jelena Jankovic in the third round.
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