Venus Williams loses to Safarova in 3rd round in Dubai

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Defending champion Venus Williams is out of the Dubai Tennis Championships after losing Wednesday in the third round in straight sets to 11th-seeded Lucie Safarova.

The eighth-seeded Williams looked listless in the humid 93 degree F (34 C) temperatures as Safarova cruised to a 6-4, 6-2 victory.

''I think she played awesome,'' Williams said. ''There were a couple of games there that I didn't even get my racket on the ball. What can I say to that?''

Williams offered Safarova six opportunities to break serve and the Czech player took advantage four times, twice in each set.

''I was firing the ball, serving really well,'' Safarova said. ''I put the pressure (on) right away from the first point. My lefty serve into her body and mixing the lefty serve with the really flat and fast serves, that seems (to) give her a little trouble.''

Joining Williams on the sidelines was fifth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, who lost to unseeded Garbine Muguruza of Spain 6-4, 6-2.

Radwanska was broken five times.

''I think when you're not playing your best tennis then it's hard to compete with those kind of players,'' Radwanska said. ''I think I didn't serve well enough to win that.''

Sixth-seeded Ekaterina Makarova of Russia reached the quarterfinals by beating Zarina Dyas of Kazakhstan 6-3, 6-4.