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DUBAI. — Venus Williams lost her title and an unbeaten record stretching back a decade when she subsided to a 6-4, 6-2 third-round Dubai Open tennis tournament defeat against Lucie Safarova yesterday. The 34-year-old American’s serving delivery was at half pace for much of the match in a court temperature of about 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and her movement was slow. Williams dropped serve in the opening game and after failing to convert three successive break back points at 4-5, no longer looked a serious contender.

It was just the second defeat the year for the American, targeting a return to the top 10 after a four-year interval.

“Obviously I want to win and then your ranking goes up,” she said.

“But I have been super happy with the year so far and I am disappointed to lose. She is a player who hits the ball a little bit different. I don’t think I was playing badly.”

Safarova’s serve was certainly difficult to read, and she mixed in swerving deliveries into the body with others swung out wide, testing the reach on a right-hander’s double-handed backhand. — AFP.