WTA roundup: Venus Williams falls in second round at D.C.

Mubadala Citi D.C. Open — Raducanu & Fernandez Break Through as Venus’ Run Ends

Magdalena Frech, seeded fifth, halted Venus Williams’ feel‑good comeback 6‑2, 6‑2, converting all three break chances while the 45‑year‑old Williams went 0‑for‑5. A few hours later Leylah Fernandez produced the tournament’s jolt, upsetting top seed Jessica Pegula 6‑3, 1‑6, 7‑5 by winning 14 of the last 18 baseline points. Emma Raducanu then doubled the surprise quotient, blasting past Naomi Osaka 6‑4, 6‑2 as Osaka landed only 46 percent of first serves and sprayed seven double faults. Taylor Townsend rounded out a volatile day by overwhelming fellow American Sofia Kenin 6‑3, 6‑0, dropping just nine points behind her serve. With three seeds gone in one afternoon the draw has flipped from chalk to chaos, the exact scenario where the “momentum‑to‑market” cues in Line Movement: Read It and Win become your best friend.

Livesport Prague Open — Noskova Survives, Czech Trio Secures Semis

Top‑seeded Linda Noskova kept home hopes intact by edging compatriot Katerina Siniakova 6‑2, 4‑6, 6‑3 despite 10 double faults apiece; the difference came on second‑serve protection, Noskova winning 49 percent to Siniakova’s 30. Fellow Czech Marie Bouzkova needed two and a half hours to subdue Ann Li 3‑6, 6‑3, 6‑3, and teenager Tereza Valentova delighted the crowd with a 6‑2, 6‑0 blitz of France’s Jessika Ponchet. The fourth quarterfinal between Xinyu Wang and Sara Bejlek was suspended at 6‑4 for Wang due to darkness. Three Czechs already booked for the semi‑finals, and the field’s lone seed left (Noskova) carries full home‑court weight—situations where parlay temptation spikes; keep unit sizes sane with Bankroll Management 101 before Friday’s lines open.