Istanbul: Top seed Venus Williams' bid to win the WTA Istanbul Cup ended at the first hurdle on Tuesday as the American icon lost 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) to Ukrainian qualifier Kateryna Bondarenko.


American Venus Williams at a press conference ahead of the Istanbul Open on Tuesday 

Williams, ranked 14 in the world, is no stranger to being upset by Bondarenko — the 28-year-old Ukrainian having beaten her when the American was third in the world in Toronto in 2009. Bondarenko beat Venus 6-4, 5-2.