Loss to Molik Keeps Venus in Full Eclipse

The best serve in women’s tennis no longer belongs to Venus Williams.

Neither do Grand Slam titles or appearances in major finals. In her last five Grand Slam events, Williams has gone past the fourth round only once, losing in the quarterfinals at the French Open last year.

So is she now the artist formally known as Venus Williams?

It certainly seems that way. On Monday, 10th-seeded Alicia Molik of Australia out-served and generally overpowered the No. 8-seeded Williams, 7-5, 7-6 (3), in 1 hour 43 minutes at the Australian Open. She hit seven aces to Williams’ two in reaching her first Grand Slam quarterfinal.

Williams appears not to realize that her game is flawed. She won her last major title at the 2001 U.S. Open, and she has not been in a Slam final since 2003 at Wimbledon.

She graciously conceded a point to Molik in the first set, at 4-4, when Molik’s forehand was called wide. But her magnanimity did not extend to the interview room.

“Obviously, in this country, this is going to be a big match,” Williams said. “In any other country, it’s not going to be a big match at all. So, you know, it is what it is. So I wish her best of luck....

“Obviously, she’s playing better. But I just didn’t play that well. So normally if I’m playing 5% better, this match is going to be mine.”

Molik became the first Australian-born woman to advance this far at the Open since Anne Minter reached the quarterfinals in 1988, and she will be at least No. 10 when new WTA tour rankings are released next week. She turns 24 Wednesday.

“Especially to enter the quarterfinal stage of a Grand Slam, beating someone like Venus, I think that speaks volumes of words,” said Molik, who next will play No. 1 Lindsay Davenport.

“But I’m pretty happy with the way I played today. More so than reaching the quarterfinals, I think it’s a huge feat that I beat Venus, and beat her the way that I did.

“I beat her playing my tennis. I didn’t wait for her to make mistakes.”

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For Australians, it was a giddy day of tennis success -- almost as though the national holiday, Australia Day, had arrived two days early. Earlier, No. 3 Lleyton Hewitt of Australia defeated Spain’s Davis Cup hero, 18-year-old Rafael Nadal, 7-5, 3-6, 1-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2 in 3:53.

This is the first time Hewitt has gone past the fourth round here. He needed more than his usual tenacity and explosiveness to combat the heavy spins of the left-handed Nadal, as well as his own nagging right hip injury.

“It’s amazing how many matches I’ve been able to win throughout my career by just giving 100% out there, that never-say-die attitude,” Hewitt said. “Even if my leg would have fell off, I would keep playing.”

Recovery will be an issue in the next round. Hewitt faces No. 9 David Nalbandian of Argentina in the quarterfinals. Nalbandian finished his victory in the early morning hours, defeating sixth-seeded countryman Guillermo Coria, 5-7, 7-5, 6-3, 6-0, in 3:24. It ended after 2 a.m. in Melbourne.