Venus Williams made a fresh historical mark as the oldest woman to compete in the Australian Open on Sunday. However, the 45-year-old champion was eliminated in the first round following a gripping match against an opponent over 20 years younger than her.
The American seven-time Grand Slam champion received a wildcard for Melbourne, five years after her last appearance at the major.
Given Serena Williams lost in the opening round of both of her warm-up competitions, this move was criticised for allegedly denying a player the chance.
Join our WhatsApp community
Still, the timeless veteran showed glimpses of her undying brilliance, pushing 24-year-old Serbian Olga Danilovic to the limit before losing the last six games. After a taxing two hours and seventeen minutes, she crashed out with a score of 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4.
“Not easy,” said Danilovic. “I told myself before the match that I wanted to seize this moment, and while I can’t say I enjoyed it, I recognised the significance of playing against Venus Williams.”
Read Also: Meet Anthony Joshua’s 2 Friends Who Died In The Tragic Car Crash
“There were plenty of nerves. I reminded myself to just play, to give it my all and take it point by point. I’m thrilled to have secured this win, but it was an absolute pleasure to compete against such a legend.”
Former world No. 1 Venus Williams, who is currently ranked 576, started off promisingly after receiving a standing ovation, breaking Danilovic’s first serve game. But the Serbian used a lucky net chord to swiftly level the set.
Join our WhatsApp community
As the set advanced to a tiebreak, where she fell behind 2-0 but rebounded to win with a clinical forehand, Williams blasted booming serves and shown no signs of mobility concerns.
Join Our Social Media Channels:
