Venus Williams on Monday clinched her first victory over a top-50 opponent in four years as the former world No. 1 defeated Camila Giorgi at the Rothesay Classic Birmingham, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and partner Barbara Strycova of the Czech Republic also advanced.
Ignoring a knee problem that needed treatment in the first set and left her close to tears, Williams won a singles match for the second time in nearly two years.
The 43-year-old battled to a 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 7-6 (8/6) first round win over world No. 48 Giorgi in 3 hours, 16 minutes.
Photo: AP
Williams had played a grass-court event in the Netherlands last week for her first tournament appearance since January and was understandably rusty at times against Giorgi.
The five-time Wimbledon champion hit her stride in spells during an enthralling encounter.
She converted her second match point in the final set tie-break, holding her arms aloft and repeatedly pumped her fist as the crowd roared in delight.
Williams might be well into the twilight of her glittering career, but the seven-time Grand Slam champion still relishes the feeling of winning a hard-fought match.
“This one is especially sweet because I have been away from the tour for so long,” she said. “The last couple of years I’ve had little to no matches and that’s very challenging.”
Williams faces a last-16 tie against the Czech Republic’s Linda Noskova or Latvian second seed Jelena Ostapenko.
“Tennis is awesome. There’s so many people that would love to do what I’m doing right now so I don’t take it for granted,” Williams said.
In women’s doubles, Hsieh and partner Strycova beat Eri Hozumi of Japan and Zhang Shuai of China 6-4, 6-1 in the round of 16.
Hsieh and partner Wang Xinyu of China earlier this month defeated the US-Canadian pairing Taylor Townsend and Leylah Fernandez to claim the French Open women’s doubles title. It was Hsieh’s fifth Grand Slam doubles title, and the first for Wang.
Taiwan’s Wu Fang-hsien and Estonian partner Ingrid Neel were yesterday to play Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok and Ostapenko.
At the German Open in Berlin, Taiwanese sisters Chan Hao-ching and Latisha Chan lost in the round of 16 to Desirae Krawczyk of the US and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands7-5, 6-4.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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