MEMPHIS, Tennessee (AFP) — Czech qualifier Petra Kvitova rallied to upset defending champ Venus Williams 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, ousting the top seeded American from the Memphis ATP/WTA event here Tuesday.
"I am really happy and I was very nervous in the first set," Kvitova said. "I started to believe I could win this match in the third set.
"I didn't think I could do it in the first set. I served very good and it's the best match I've ever played."
Kvitova, who will turn 18 next month, posted her first-ever WTA Tour win in a main draw earlier this month at Paris, defeating Medina Garrigues in the first round.
The teenager subsequently lost her next match to Elena Dementieva.
In her other two tournaments this year, Kvitova lost in qualifying in the Australian Open and at Antwerp.
Next up for Kvitova is another qualifier, Brenda Schultz-McCarthy of the Netherlands.
It was a shocking loss by Williams, who had made an impressive debut here a year ago, winning 10 of 11 sets in her five matches, including a decisive 6-1, 6-1 win over top-seeded Shahar Peer in the final.
"She mixed it up really well and I didn't return well," Williams said. "She has a good serve and she played well.
"I am disappointed I won't be here the rest of the week."
The 27-year-old had a decent start to the season, reaching the quarter-finals at the Australian Open.
However, the reigning Wimbledon champion and 36-time winner on tour had a disappointing showing at Qatar last week, losing a third-round match to Dominika Cibulkova.
It also was a disastrous day for second-seeded Frenchwoman Tatiana Golovin, who lost her opening-round match, 6-4, 6-4, to 148th-ranked Bethanie Mattek.
The world No. 13 falls to 2-3 this season, including a loss to then-No. 69 Aravane Rezai in the second round at the Aussie Open.
It was just the third top 20 victory for the 22-year-old Mattek, who has never played in a WTA final.
Next up for the American, who reached the quarter-finals here last season, is German wild card Julia Goerges.
Sixth-seeded Carolina Wozniacki of Denmark also opened with a victory, topping Milagros Sequera, 6-0, 6-2.
On the men's side, No. 6 seed Thomas Johansson of Sweden beat Russian Marat Safin 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/2) in the night match.
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