TOKYO: Sam Stosur beat Maria Sharapova 6-4, 7-6 (10) Thursday at the Pan Pacific Open, knocking the two-time champion out to advance to the semifinals.
Stosur broke Sharapova to go up 5-3 in the second set but then lost nine straight points as Sharapova sent the match to a tiebreaker, which Stosur won when Sharapova’s return was long.
It was only the second time in 11 matches that Sharapova lost to Stosur, who will face Nadia Petrova of Russia on Friday.
Petrova beat sixth-seeded Sara Errani of Italy 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Sharapova wasn’t the only top player to bow out. Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka withdrew after a bout of dizziness in her third-round match Wednesday.
Azarenka’s scheduled opponent on Thursday, fifth-ranked Angelique Kerber of Germany, advanced to the semifinals on a walkover.
Azarenka, playing in her first tournament since losing in the US Open final to Serena Williams, had her blood pressure checked midway through the first set of Wednesday’s match but bounced back.
The Belarusian said she has been struggling with her health since arriving in Japan.
Sharapova ousted at Pan Pacific Open, Azarenka withdraws
Sharapova ousted at Pan Pacific Open, Azarenka withdraws
US invests in counter-drone tech to protect FIFA World Cup venues
The US will invest $115 million in counter-drone measures to bolster security around the FIFA World Cup and America’s 250th Anniversary celebrations, the Department of Homeland Security said on Monday, the latest sign of governments stepping up drone defenses.
The FIFA World Cup will be a major test of President Donald Trump’s pledge to keep the US secure, with over a million travelers expected to visit for the tournament and billions more watching matches from overseas.
The threat of drone attacks has become a growing concern since the war in Ukraine has demonstrated their lethal capabilities. And recent drone incidents have worried both European and US airports.
“We are entering a new era to defend our air superiority to protect our borders and the interior of the United States,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. Defense companies are developing a range of technologies aimed at countering drones, including tracking software, lasers, microwaves and autonomous machine guns.
The DHS did not specify which technologies it would deploy to World Cup venues. The announcement comes weeks after the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which sits under DHS, said it granted $250 million to 11 states hosting World Cup matches to buy counter-drone technologies.
Last summer, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, called on Trump, a Republican, to bolster federal support for defending against drone attacks.
