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| Venus Williams fights hard to avoid early upset with 72nd Wimbledon win | Venus Williams fights hard to avoid early upset with 72nd Wimbledon win |
| (2 months later) | |
| Only three women have won more singles matches at Wimbledon than Venus Williams but even the five-times champion will have been thankful for small mercies on Monday. Having missed the 2013 event and been knocked out in the first round the year before, the 34-year-old American fought hard to avoid an early upset with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 win over María Teresa Torró-Flor of Spain to reach the second round. | Only three women have won more singles matches at Wimbledon than Venus Williams but even the five-times champion will have been thankful for small mercies on Monday. Having missed the 2013 event and been knocked out in the first round the year before, the 34-year-old American fought hard to avoid an early upset with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 win over María Teresa Torró-Flor of Spain to reach the second round. |
| It was her 72nd win at Wimbledon, a phenomenal record bettered only by Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert and Steffi Graf and testament to her endurance despite a continued battle against Sjögren’s syndrome, an incurable disease that causes muscle soreness and fatigue. It is a battle that affects her every day and sometimes leaves her physically unable to compete but she retains a fierce will to win. | It was her 72nd win at Wimbledon, a phenomenal record bettered only by Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert and Steffi Graf and testament to her endurance despite a continued battle against Sjögren’s syndrome, an incurable disease that causes muscle soreness and fatigue. It is a battle that affects her every day and sometimes leaves her physically unable to compete but she retains a fierce will to win. |
| It is three years since Williams, the champion in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008, made the last 16 of any of the four grand slam events. That came here, just a couple of months before she revealed she was suffering from the disease. Many doctors at the time thought she would have to quit but Williams was convinced she could return and, though her results have never matched those of her peak years, she continues to battle on even when she would probably rather be resting. | It is three years since Williams, the champion in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008, made the last 16 of any of the four grand slam events. That came here, just a couple of months before she revealed she was suffering from the disease. Many doctors at the time thought she would have to quit but Williams was convinced she could return and, though her results have never matched those of her peak years, she continues to battle on even when she would probably rather be resting. |
| “Unfortunately it’s not something you had, it’s something you have,” Williams said, referring to Sjögren’s syndrome. “On a daily basis I just try to get the best out of myself and that’s all I can do, that’s all I can ask of myself.” | “Unfortunately it’s not something you had, it’s something you have,” Williams said, referring to Sjögren’s syndrome. “On a daily basis I just try to get the best out of myself and that’s all I can do, that’s all I can ask of myself.” |
| Even at 34 she believes she can win the biggest events. Asked by one reporter how many Wimbledon titles she has won, she quipped: “Not enough.” Williams takes on Kurumi Nara of Japan in the second round and could then play the former champion Petra Kvitova, who cruised to a 6-3, 6-0 win over the Czech Andrea Hlavackova on Monday. | Even at 34 she believes she can win the biggest events. Asked by one reporter how many Wimbledon titles she has won, she quipped: “Not enough.” Williams takes on Kurumi Nara of Japan in the second round and could then play the former champion Petra Kvitova, who cruised to a 6-3, 6-0 win over the Czech Andrea Hlavackova on Monday. |
| When Williams won the courts were still slick and the American was a dazzling sight, throwing herself around the net and dominating matches against any baseliner. Fourteen years on the speed of the courts has slowed to the point where baseliners have the edge. “I liked it when you had to adjust from surface to surface,” she said. “The ball now sits up higher. I think it’s a shame you don’t have that nuance between surfaces.” | |
| The second seed, Li Na, survived a first-set scare to beat Paula Kania of Poland 7-5, 6-2 and the former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka, back from injury, overcame the 1999 semi-finalist Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, 6-3, 7-5. But among a number of upsets were defeats for Sam Stosur and Sloane Stephens. Stosur, a former US Open champion, lost 6-3, 6-4 to Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer, her sixth first-round defeat here and an extension of her aversion to grass. The Australian, whose serve is such a weapon on hard courts and clay, has never been past the third round here and was outplayed by Wickmayer, who is being helped by the former world No1 Kim Clijsters, who was in the stands to see her pupil record one of her best wins of late. | The second seed, Li Na, survived a first-set scare to beat Paula Kania of Poland 7-5, 6-2 and the former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka, back from injury, overcame the 1999 semi-finalist Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, 6-3, 7-5. But among a number of upsets were defeats for Sam Stosur and Sloane Stephens. Stosur, a former US Open champion, lost 6-3, 6-4 to Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer, her sixth first-round defeat here and an extension of her aversion to grass. The Australian, whose serve is such a weapon on hard courts and clay, has never been past the third round here and was outplayed by Wickmayer, who is being helped by the former world No1 Kim Clijsters, who was in the stands to see her pupil record one of her best wins of late. |
| Stosur, who last week split from Miles Maclagan, the former coach of Andy Murray, admitted she was baffled by her terrible Wimbledon record. “I am pretty annoyed about it,” she said. “I don’t have an answer, because I feel I played well. I still think I am a good enough player to get through first rounds here.” | Stosur, who last week split from Miles Maclagan, the former coach of Andy Murray, admitted she was baffled by her terrible Wimbledon record. “I am pretty annoyed about it,” she said. “I don’t have an answer, because I feel I played well. I still think I am a good enough player to get through first rounds here.” |
| Stephens was all at sea as she lost 6-2, 7-6 to Maria Kirilenko, the Russian who reached the quarter-finals in 2012 but who is now ranked 109 after struggling with a knee injury. | Stephens was all at sea as she lost 6-2, 7-6 to Maria Kirilenko, the Russian who reached the quarter-finals in 2012 but who is now ranked 109 after struggling with a knee injury. |
| “It feels like the end of the world right now but fortunately it’s not,” Stephens said. “I’ve just got to keep working and get ready for the US Open series. You’ve got to deal with [losses]. It comes in bunches and there are things you guys don’t know about, a lot of things that everyone else doesn’t see but you have to work through.” | “It feels like the end of the world right now but fortunately it’s not,” Stephens said. “I’ve just got to keep working and get ready for the US Open series. You’ve got to deal with [losses]. It comes in bunches and there are things you guys don’t know about, a lot of things that everyone else doesn’t see but you have to work through.” |
| The former world No1 Caroline Wozniacki ledShahar Peer of Israel 6-3, 2-0 when play was suspended for the evening after a late rain shower. | The former world No1 Caroline Wozniacki ledShahar Peer of Israel 6-3, 2-0 when play was suspended for the evening after a late rain shower. |