Venus Williams bowed out of the US Open in the first round for the first time in her professional career on Tuesday, losing in straight sets to Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic.

The 40-year-old Williams, making her 22nd appearance at Flushing Meadows in a career that has spanned four decades, was beaten 6-3, 7-5.

It marked Williams' second consecutive first round defeat at a Grand Slam event after exiting the Australian Open at the same stage in January.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion has not been past the third round at a Slam event since 2017.

Muchova -- who was only one when Williams was playing in her first US Open final in 1997, where she lost to Martina Hingis -- always had the veteran American star on the back foot on Tuesday.

Also Read | <a href="http://13.235.153.162/sports/us-open-serena-continues-bid-for-24th-grand-slam-title-after-round-one-victory-324621">US Open: Serena continues bid for 24th Grand Slam title after round one victory</a>

After losing the first set, Williams rallied in the second and opened up a 5-3 lead, seemingly poised to force a third set.

But a string of unforced errors allowed Muchova to roar back into the match and she reeled off four consecutive games to close out the win.

Muchova, the 20th seed, will play unseeded Russian Anna Kalinskaya in the second round. 
&nbsp;

Venus Williams bowed out of the US Open in the first round for the first time in her professional career on Tuesday, losing in straight sets to Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic.

Venus Williams bowed out of the US Open in the first round for the first time in her professional career on Tuesday, losing in straight sets to Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic. The 40-year-old Williams, making her 22nd appearance at Flushing Meadows in a career that has spanned four decades, was beaten 6-3, 7-5. It marked Williams' second consecutive first round defeat at a Grand Slam event after exiting the Australian Open at the same stage in January. The seven-time Grand Slam champion has not been past the third round at a Slam event since 2017. Muchova -- who was only one when Williams was playing in her first US Open final in 1997, where she lost to Martina Hingis -- always had the veteran American star on the back foot on Tuesday. Also Read | US Open: Serena continues bid for 24th Grand Slam title after round one victory After losing the first set, Williams rallied in the second and opened up a 5-3 lead, seemingly poised to force a third set. But a string of unforced errors allowed Muchova to roar back into the match and she reeled off four consecutive games to close out the win. Muchova, the 20th seed, will play unseeded Russian Anna Kalinskaya in the second round.

Venus out of US Open in first round for first time

Hollywood star Will Smith and production house Warner Bros., are in trouble as they were gearing to start work on Serena and Venus Williams’ father, Richard. Funnily, King Richard is being served in the courts today thanks to a multi-million-dollar breach of contract lawsuit.

The complaint registered states: “This case presents an unfortunate and tawdry situation: the cold and calculating misappropriation and interference with Plaintiffs’ intellectual property,” says the seven claim complaint from TW3 Entertainment and Power Move Multi Media.

The case has been filed against Will Smith’s loan out company and Warner Bros, among others.

According to the plaintiff’s claim, Will Smith and company bought the rights for Williams’ book for a mere $10,000 three years ago. However, these rights involved limited power of attorney for “purposes of dealing with film and media rights for his book.”&nbsp;

The film would have been directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green.

Hollywood star Will Smith and production house Warner Bros., are in trouble as they were gearing to start work on Serena and Venus Williams’ father, Richard. Funnily, King Richard is being served in the courts today thanks to a multi-million-dollar breach of contract lawsuit.

Hollywood star Will Smith and production house Warner Bros., are in trouble as they were gearing to start work on Serena and Venus Williams’ father, Richard. Funnily, King Richard is being served in the courts today thanks to a multi-million-dollar breach of contract lawsuit. The complaint registered states: “This case presents an unfortunate and tawdry situation: the cold and calculating misappropriation and interference with Plaintiffs’ intellectual property,” says the seven claim complaint from TW3 Entertainment and Power Move Multi Media. The case has been filed against Will Smith’s loan out company and Warner Bros, among others. According to the plaintiff’s claim, Will Smith and company bought the rights for Williams’ book for a mere $10,000 three years ago. However, these rights involved limited power of attorney for “purposes of dealing with film and media rights for his book.” The film would have been directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green.

Will Smith, Warner Bros sued for movie on Serena and Venus Williams' father

With the sporting world coming to a grinding halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sportspersons have taken to social media platforms to interact with their fans, followers and friends as almost the entire world continues to remain in lockdown to fight against the deadly virus.&nbsp;

Tennis star Venus Williams was joined by her sister Serena, and stand-up comedian and actress Amy Schumer on photo-blogging platform Instagram as the troika held a live session on Friday for a workout consisting of lifting bottles of alcohol as weights.

“I do this anyway,” Schumer cracked as she squatted with some alcohol bottles. “When we go low, the champagne goes high,” she continued as thousands watched the trio have fun in a bid to keep themselves fit.

ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/english-football-chiefs-set-for-difficult-coronavirus-decisions-289090">English football chiefs set for 'difficult' coronavirus decisions</a>

Schumer also joked that tequila is “good for calf raises,” and tilted a bottle of wine toward her mouth, saying, “Practice for what you do at night. It’s how I keep myself in mediocre shape.”

The Instagram live session was held on Friday and witnessed epic banter between the trio. While everyone continues to remain in lockdown while self-isolating themselves to curb the spread of COVID-19, Schumer, when asked about wellness tips said: “Hopefully you have some edibles. And that’s kind of the best we can hope for.”

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-struggled-to-breathe-dybala-reveals-coronavirus-nightmare-289089">'I struggled to breathe:' Dybala reveals coronavirus nightmare</a>

Serena’s daughter, Alexis Olympia, and Schumer’s baby son, Gene, made cameos.

Meanwhile, all the sporting tournaments and events have been either cancelled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic with the biggest among them being the Tokyo Olympics 2020 which was shifted to 2021. 
&nbsp;

With the sporting world coming to a grinding halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sportspersons have taken to social media platforms to interact with their fans, followers and friends as almost the entire world continues to remain in lockdown to fight against the deadly virus.

With the sporting world coming to a grinding halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sportspersons have taken to social media platforms to interact with their fans, followers and friends as almost the entire world continues to remain in lockdown to fight against the deadly virus. Tennis star Venus Williams was joined by her sister Serena, and stand-up comedian and actress Amy Schumer on photo-blogging platform Instagram as the troika held a live session on Friday for a workout consisting of lifting bottles of alcohol as weights. “I do this anyway,” Schumer cracked as she squatted with some alcohol bottles. “When we go low, the champagne goes high,” she continued as thousands watched the trio have fun in a bid to keep themselves fit. ALSO READ: English football chiefs set for 'difficult' coronavirus decisions Schumer also joked that tequila is “good for calf raises,” and tilted a bottle of wine toward her mouth, saying, “Practice for what you do at night. It’s how I keep myself in mediocre shape.” The Instagram live session was held on Friday and witnessed epic banter between the trio. While everyone continues to remain in lockdown while self-isolating themselves to curb the spread of COVID-19, Schumer, when asked about wellness tips said: “Hopefully you have some edibles. And that’s kind of the best we can hope for.” ALSO READ: 'I struggled to breathe:' Dybala reveals coronavirus nightmare Serena’s daughter, Alexis Olympia, and Schumer’s baby son, Gene, made cameos. Meanwhile, all the sporting tournaments and events have been either cancelled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic with the biggest among them being the Tokyo Olympics 2020 which was shifted to 2021.

Venus Williams hosts exercise session with alcohol bottles on Instagram during quarantine; Serena Williams, Amy Schumer join

Fifteen-year-old American Coco Gauff beat Venus Williams at the Australian Open on Monday -- the second time the teenager has dumped the veteran out in a Grand Slam first round.

Fifteen-year-old American Coco Gauff beat Venus Williams at the Australian Open on Monday -- the second time the teenager has dumped the veteran out in a Grand Slam first round. Gauff surged into the second round in Melbourne with a 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 victory over the 39-year-old and will play unseeded Romanian Sorana Cirstea next. Gauff, ranked 67 in the world and a fast-rising star in tennis, similarly defeated the seven-time Grand Slam winner in the first round last year at Wimbledon. "That was really difficult, she played really well," said the precocious teenager. "I was really nervous for today's match. "I was a bit shocked -- I'm sure everyone was shocked -- when they saw the draw come out but I'm glad I was able to get through it," Gauff added, referring to the repeat of their Wimbledon match. Williams, formerly number one but now ranked 55th, conceded the first-set tie break when she hit a routine backhand overhead into the net. Gauff, remarkably unfazed by playing someone more than twice her age, held her nerve in the second set to claim Williams' scalp once more. Victory over Williams at Wimbledon, and her run to the fourth round there -- where she lost to eventual champion Simona Halep -- propelled Gauff into the sporting limelight. She went on to win her first WTA title in October in Linz, Austria.

Gauff, 15, stuns Venus Williams in Australian Open first round

Teenage sensation <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-simona-halep-ends-cori-gauffs-fairytale-run-234093">Coco Gauff</a> says she hopes that one thing her adoring fans at Wimbledon have learned about her in the past week is she is a "fighter" and "never gives up".

The 15-year-old's hopes of moving into the quarter-finals were hindered by a stomach complaint in her 6-3, 6-3 loss to Simona Halep in the last 16.

She leaves, though, having turned herself into a media darling, signficantly improved her ranking from 313 and left her mark as a potential Grand Slam winner of the future. &nbsp;

However, even though Gauff, the youngest ever qualifier in the women's singles, who had then dispensed with three opponents including five-time champion Venus Williams, was more subdued following her defeat she still had a spark. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

"I hope they (the crowd and her opponents) learned about me that I'm a fighter," she said.

"I'll never give up."

Gauff, who endearingly described herself on Friday as both "goofy and weird", said she hoped she had served as an example to many who were dreaming of making it in tennis.

"I hope they learned from me that, I mean, anything is possible if you work hard, just continue to dream big," she said.

"I mean, like I said, if somebody told me this maybe three weeks ago, I probably wouldn't believe it.

"But I think just putting in the work definitely raised my confidence because I knew how hard I worked and I knew what shots I could make and what was possible."

Gauff, who refused to blame playing seven matches in the past fortnight for her loss, said overall it had been an extraordinary ride.

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The No.1 Court crowd rises to acknowledge all the excitement <a href="https://twitter.com/CocoGauff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CocoGauff</a> has given us 🤗 
 
And remember - this is just the beginning... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wimbledon</a> <a href="https://t.co/UBiOYSxPeU">pic.twitter.com/UBiOYSxPeU</a>
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) <a href="https://twitter.com/Wimbledon/status/1148244437757321216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"I'd be like, that's crazy," she said.

"I mean, I lost second round of qualifying in Paris.

"Now I made it to the second week. I'm super proud of myself.

"I'm excited to see what I'll do at US Open and the next couple tournaments coming up."

Gauff, whose parents father Corey, who first coached her, and mother Candi looked on concerned for her when she had the trainer and the doctor on in the second set, had said last year she would go to college although she hinted the attraction of the professional tennis career also appealed.

This may become something of a debate within the Gauff household.

"Well, I'm going to do it online," she said.

"I still want to go to college. Kind of like a requirement, I guess, from my parents.

"Obviously I'm still going to be playing professional.

"I'm definitely going to take some online courses.

"I'm still fairly new to high school, so I haven't figured all that out yet."&nbsp;

- 'Shape my personality' - 
Gauff attracted attention from the unlikeliest sources during her run -- Beyonce's mother, fashion designer Tina Knowles, posted on Instagram and former US First Lady Michelle Obama tweeted about her -- and she said her role models on and off court were all women.

"Beyonce, Rihanna, Michelle Obama," she said.

"It's many people.

"The list goes on. I mostly look up to the females because, you know... I have a lot of on-court and off-court role models.

"I would say the off-court role models shape my personality a lot, then the on-court role models kind of shape my game."

Gauff, whose one bone of contention with her parents was they went off to a Beyonce concert in Miami leaving her to babysit earlier this year, said she had been taken aback by some of the people who had posted about her.

"She's (Michelle Obama) such a role model," she said.

"I mean, I was really shocked. I wasn't expecting that.

"That was probably one of the least expected.

"Some of the celebrities that tweeted me I didn't even know followed tennis.

"They probably don't follow tennis, but it's crazy how big this has gotten."

Gauff, who is going to take time off the constant attention by going on a mini-break with her family, said the support she had received from the crowd had been astonishing.&nbsp;

"I really did feel like I was probably playing in New York somewhere," she said.

Teenage sensation Coco Gauff says she hopes that one thing her adoring fans at Wimbledon have learned about her in the past week is she is a "fighter" and "never gives up".

Teenage sensation Coco Gauff says she hopes that one thing her adoring fans at Wimbledon have learned about her in the past week is she is a "fighter" and "never gives up". The 15-year-old's hopes of moving into the quarter-finals were hindered by a stomach complaint in her 6-3, 6-3 loss to Simona Halep in the last 16. She leaves, though, having turned herself into a media darling, signficantly improved her ranking from 313 and left her mark as a potential Grand Slam winner of the future. However, even though Gauff, the youngest ever qualifier in the women's singles, who had then dispensed with three opponents including five-time champion Venus Williams, was more subdued following her defeat she still had a spark. "I hope they (the crowd and her opponents) learned about me that I'm a fighter," she said. "I'll never give up." Gauff, who endearingly described herself on Friday as both "goofy and weird", said she hoped she had served as an example to many who were dreaming of making it in tennis. "I hope they learned from me that, I mean, anything is possible if you work hard, just continue to dream big," she said. "I mean, like I said, if somebody told me this maybe three weeks ago, I probably wouldn't believe it. "But I think just putting in the work definitely raised my confidence because I knew how hard I worked and I knew what shots I could make and what was possible." Gauff, who refused to blame playing seven matches in the past fortnight for her loss, said overall it had been an extraordinary ride. The No.1 Court crowd rises to acknowledge all the excitement @CocoGauff has given us 🤗 And remember - this is just the beginning... #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/UBiOYSxPeU — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 8, 2019 × "I'd be like, that's crazy," she said. "I mean, I lost second round of qualifying in Paris. "Now I made it to the second week. I'm super proud of myself. "I'm excited to see what I'll do at US Open and the next couple tournaments coming up." Gauff, whose parents father Corey, who first coached her, and mother Candi looked on concerned for her when she had the trainer and the doctor on in the second set, had said last year she would go to college although she hinted the attraction of the professional tennis career also appealed. This may become something of a debate within the Gauff household. "Well, I'm going to do it online," she said. "I still want to go to college. Kind of like a requirement, I guess, from my parents. "Obviously I'm still going to be playing professional. "I'm definitely going to take some online courses. "I'm still fairly new to high school, so I haven't figured all that out yet." - 'Shape my personality' - Gauff attracted attention from the unlikeliest sources during her run -- Beyonce's mother, fashion designer Tina Knowles, posted on Instagram and former US First Lady Michelle Obama tweeted about her -- and she said her role models on and off court were all women. "Beyonce, Rihanna, Michelle Obama," she said. "It's many people. "The list goes on. I mostly look up to the females because, you know... I have a lot of on-court and off-court role models. "I would say the off-court role models shape my personality a lot, then the on-court role models kind of shape my game." Gauff, whose one bone of contention with her parents was they went off to a Beyonce concert in Miami leaving her to babysit earlier this year, said she had been taken aback by some of the people who had posted about her. "She's (Michelle Obama) such a role model," she said. "I mean, I was really shocked. I wasn't expecting that. "That was probably one of the least expected. "Some of the celebrities that tweeted me I didn't even know followed tennis. "They probably don't follow tennis, but it's crazy how big this has gotten." Gauff, who is going to take time off the constant attention by going on a mini-break with her family, said the support she had received from the crowd had been astonishing. "I really did feel like I was probably playing in New York somewhere," she said.

I never give up, says Coco Gauff as she bows out of Wimbledon

Teenager Coco Gauff has captivated <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-simona-halep-defeats-victoria-azarenka-to-enter-round-four-233447">Wimbledon </a>with her extraordinary talent and youthful exuberance but, as her beaten opponent said on Tuesday, she is "probably older in her head than the numbers show".

The 15-year-old American exhibited remarkable maturity and poise to fight back from a set and 5-2 down in her third-round 3-6, 7-6(7), 7-5 defeat of Slovenian Polona Hercog.

Afterwards, a clearly delighted <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-teenager-cori-gauff-effortlessly-races-into-third-round-232951&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj73e7LyJ_jAhVFPY8KHb8bAzoQFjAAegQIBBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1_Kj1mpxn9kRqN8u0fYJ8I">Gauff</a>, who beat five-time champion Venus Williams in the first round before taking the scalps of former semi-finalist Magdalena Rybarikova and Hercog, switched between reflective adult and excited teenager.

"It's was pretty surreal how life changes in a matter of seconds," she said.

"I remember before I played Venus, as you know when you walk to leave the practice courts, there are people waiting. One little kid asked me for a picture. Then after the next day, after I played Venus, everybody was screaming my name."

She said it was awe-inspiring to walk out on Centre Court, describing it as "sacred" but she did not feel nervous.

"Obviously this moment is an incredible moment. I'm still excited I get to keep living it," she said, adding that defeats she had suffered in the past had helped her to achieve success this week.

"You really learn a lot from your loss. You don't learn too much when you win a lot," she said.

Gauff recovered from two match points against her on Tuesday to overcome Hercog in a match that lasted two hours 46 minutes and took her into Wimbledon's second week.

But the teenaged <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-15-year-old-cori-gauff-stuns-idol-venus-williams-to-steal-day-one-limelight-232214&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj73e7LyJ_jAhVFPY8KHb8bAzoQFjACegQIDhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw380msx-mnKafN67mmwhOnK">Gauff </a>appeared equally excited about a posting about her by Beyonce's mother, about a new album by Jaden Smith and about a video of her mother's celebration in the players' box on Tuesday going viral.

"Please tell me she's a meme. I'm so excited to go on Instagram," she laughed. "I'm going to retweet it and everything."

And she said it was "cool" to have won some $220,000 so far this week so she would probably buy some hoodies.

"I love wearing hoodies. My mom, she banned me from buying hoodies for two months. Every week I was getting new hoodies sent to the house," she said.

"I can't buy a car because I can't drive," added Gauff.

Teenager Coco Gauff has captivated Wimbledon with her extraordinary talent and youthful exuberance but, as her beaten opponent said on Tuesday, she is "probably older in her head than the numbers show".

Teenager Coco Gauff has captivated Wimbledon with her extraordinary talent and youthful exuberance but, as her beaten opponent said on Tuesday, she is "probably older in her head than the numbers show". The 15-year-old American exhibited remarkable maturity and poise to fight back from a set and 5-2 down in her third-round 3-6, 7-6(7), 7-5 defeat of Slovenian Polona Hercog. Afterwards, a clearly delighted Gauff, who beat five-time champion Venus Williams in the first round before taking the scalps of former semi-finalist Magdalena Rybarikova and Hercog, switched between reflective adult and excited teenager. "It's was pretty surreal how life changes in a matter of seconds," she said. "I remember before I played Venus, as you know when you walk to leave the practice courts, there are people waiting. One little kid asked me for a picture. Then after the next day, after I played Venus, everybody was screaming my name." She said it was awe-inspiring to walk out on Centre Court, describing it as "sacred" but she did not feel nervous. "Obviously this moment is an incredible moment. I'm still excited I get to keep living it," she said, adding that defeats she had suffered in the past had helped her to achieve success this week. "You really learn a lot from your loss. You don't learn too much when you win a lot," she said. Gauff recovered from two match points against her on Tuesday to overcome Hercog in a match that lasted two hours 46 minutes and took her into Wimbledon's second week. But the teenaged Gauff appeared equally excited about a posting about her by Beyonce's mother, about a new album by Jaden Smith and about a video of her mother's celebration in the players' box on Tuesday going viral. "Please tell me she's a meme. I'm so excited to go on Instagram," she laughed. "I'm going to retweet it and everything." And she said it was "cool" to have won some $220,000 so far this week so she would probably buy some hoodies. "I love wearing hoodies. My mom, she banned me from buying hoodies for two months. Every week I was getting new hoodies sent to the house," she said. "I can't buy a car because I can't drive," added Gauff.

Wimbledon: 15-year old Cori Gauff fights back to defeat Hercog, reaches round of 16

American 15-year-old Cori "Coco" Gauff showed her stunning first-round defeat of <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-15-year-old-cori-gauff-stuns-idol-venus-williams-to-steal-day-one-limelight-232214&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjIs52X05rjAhVHM94KHd9FAtoQFjABegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1MR7DWdXYUiMEwFTicshFT">Venus Williams</a> was no flash in the pan as she outclassed Magdalena Rybarikova 6-3 6-3 to reach the third round of Wimbledon on Wednesday.

Gauff, the youngest player to reach the Wimbledon women's singles main draw via qualifying and the youngest to win a round since 1991, gave the 30-year-old former semi-finalist a torrid time as her fairytale debut continued under the Court One roof.

Gliding effortlessly across the grass she took charge of the match by breaking her 139th-ranked Slovakian's serve to love in the sixth game and was in control thereafter.

Rybarikova, a semi-finalist in 2017, might have hoped for Gauff's level to dip but it never looked likely as the teenager remained ice cool and composed to close in on victory.

Sensational as the victory over her idol and five-time champion Williams was, the way she backed it up was arguably more impressive as she appeared completely impervious to the hullabaloo she has caused at the All England Club.

In two matches she has made 18 unforced errors and barely put a foot wrong.

"I just still can't believe she is 15," American great John McEnroe said in his summary for the BBC.

But even Gauff herself told reporters after the match she was the real deal: "You can kind of fake it till you make it. But I'm not faking it, at least right now."

Incredibly, this time last week Gauff was preparing for a science exam having jetted into London at short notice after being handed a wildcard for the qualifying event.

After a whirlwind week, she now finds herself one win away from becoming the youngest player to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon since Jennifer Capriati, aged 14, in 1990.

After beating Venus, Gauff is already receiving the sort of attention that surrounded Capriati as she burst onto the scene. "I wasn't expecting any of this. A lot of celebrities were DM'ing, posting me. I'm kind of star-struck. It's been hard to reset," she told reporters.

"There's so much going on. I'm still shocked that I'm even here," world number 313 Gauff said after coming off court and being initially told by the reporter she was next to face Caroline Wozniacki when it is actually Slovenian Polona Hercog who beat another former American prodigy Madison Keys.

"KEEP IT SIMPLE"

The way she has taken to the world's biggest tennis stage suggests she might be here a while longer yet.

"This is not the first time she has had to deal with pressure, but she surprises me with some of the fight she comes up with," <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/cori-gauff-15-year-old-american-qualifies-for-wimbledon-231089&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjIs52X05rjAhVHM94KHd9FAtoQFjAAegQIBBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw26JKBJwPxTdRevNyAE0VwB">Gauff's </a>father, and coach, Corey told Reuters.

"My words too her today were just keep it simple and make sure you hit the ball hard, and hit it in the corners," he said.

It took her no time at all to carry out those instructions, ripping a crosscourt backhand winner as she held serve.

Another graceful backhand sealed her next service game and in she raced forward to an attempted drop shot to whip an angled forehand on to the line -- offering a Serena Williams-like "c'mon!!" in response.

Rybarikova, who has dropped to 139th in the rankings, was already beginning to feel the pace and in the sixth game Gauff turned up the dial her groundstrokes to secure the first break.

Serving for the set Gauff crunched two backhand winners on her way to holding to love.

Gauff broke early in the second set and although Rybarikova tried every spin in her armoury to try and break the youngster's rhythm, resistance proved futile.

Asked what advice she had been given by her parents Corey and Candi, who cheered each winner from the players' box, she said it was simple.

"They just told me, you have another match. The tournament's not over," she said. "My goal is to win it," Gauff said.

American 15-year-old Cori "Coco" Gauff showed her stunning first-round defeat of Venus Williams was no flash in the pan as she outclassed Magdalena Rybarikova 6-3 6-3 to reach the third round of Wimbledon on Wednesday.

American 15-year-old Cori "Coco" Gauff showed her stunning first-round defeat of Venus Williams was no flash in the pan as she outclassed Magdalena Rybarikova 6-3 6-3 to reach the third round of Wimbledon on Wednesday. Gauff, the youngest player to reach the Wimbledon women's singles main draw via qualifying and the youngest to win a round since 1991, gave the 30-year-old former semi-finalist a torrid time as her fairytale debut continued under the Court One roof. Gliding effortlessly across the grass she took charge of the match by breaking her 139th-ranked Slovakian's serve to love in the sixth game and was in control thereafter. Rybarikova, a semi-finalist in 2017, might have hoped for Gauff's level to dip but it never looked likely as the teenager remained ice cool and composed to close in on victory. Sensational as the victory over her idol and five-time champion Williams was, the way she backed it up was arguably more impressive as she appeared completely impervious to the hullabaloo she has caused at the All England Club. In two matches she has made 18 unforced errors and barely put a foot wrong. "I just still can't believe she is 15," American great John McEnroe said in his summary for the BBC. But even Gauff herself told reporters after the match she was the real deal: "You can kind of fake it till you make it. But I'm not faking it, at least right now." Incredibly, this time last week Gauff was preparing for a science exam having jetted into London at short notice after being handed a wildcard for the qualifying event. After a whirlwind week, she now finds herself one win away from becoming the youngest player to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon since Jennifer Capriati, aged 14, in 1990. After beating Venus, Gauff is already receiving the sort of attention that surrounded Capriati as she burst onto the scene. "I wasn't expecting any of this. A lot of celebrities were DM'ing, posting me. I'm kind of star-struck. It's been hard to reset," she told reporters. "There's so much going on. I'm still shocked that I'm even here," world number 313 Gauff said after coming off court and being initially told by the reporter she was next to face Caroline Wozniacki when it is actually Slovenian Polona Hercog who beat another former American prodigy Madison Keys. "KEEP IT SIMPLE" The way she has taken to the world's biggest tennis stage suggests she might be here a while longer yet. "This is not the first time she has had to deal with pressure, but she surprises me with some of the fight she comes up with," Gauff's father, and coach, Corey told Reuters. "My words too her today were just keep it simple and make sure you hit the ball hard, and hit it in the corners," he said. It took her no time at all to carry out those instructions, ripping a crosscourt backhand winner as she held serve. Another graceful backhand sealed her next service game and in she raced forward to an attempted drop shot to whip an angled forehand on to the line -- offering a Serena Williams-like "c'mon!!" in response. Rybarikova, who has dropped to 139th in the rankings, was already beginning to feel the pace and in the sixth game Gauff turned up the dial her groundstrokes to secure the first break. Serving for the set Gauff crunched two backhand winners on her way to holding to love. Gauff broke early in the second set and although Rybarikova tried every spin in her armoury to try and break the youngster's rhythm, resistance proved futile. Asked what advice she had been given by her parents Corey and Candi, who cheered each winner from the players' box, she said it was simple. "They just told me, you have another match. The tournament's not over," she said. "My goal is to win it," Gauff said.

Wimbledon: American teen Cori Gauff effortlessly races into third round

From Naomi Osaka to Maria Sharapova, shocking upsets at Wimbledon'19 round one

American 15-year-old Cori Gauff stole the show on the opening day of Wimbledon with a debut victory over five-time champion and her inspiration Venus Williams.

Gauff, the youngest woman ever to survive the qualifying tournament, played like a seasoned performer as she clinically beat the 39-year-old great 6-4, 6-4 to earn a standing ovation from an enchanted Court One crowd.

"I wouldn't say I didn't expect to win the match. I knew that I was going to go out there and play the way I play," Gauff, who claimed victory on her fourth match point, told reporters.

"I wasn't surprised that I won. I mean, I was just overwhelmed at the end," Gauff said.

Her victory put everything else in the shade on an opening day full of shocks in both draws.

World number two and second seed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/second-seed-naomi-osaka-crashes-out-in-first-round-of-wimbledon-232123">Naomi Osaka</a> lost 7-6(4), 6-2 to dangerous Kazakh Yulia Putintseva who had also got the better of her in their recent match in Birmingham - a defeat that effectively cost Osaka the number one ranking.

US&nbsp;Open and Australian Open champion Osaka appeared close to tears when she spoke to the media later.

"Can I leave? I feel like I'm about to cry," the Japanese 21-year-old said.

French Open runner-up Marketa Vondrousova, the 16th seed, also bowed out but former world number ones Karolina Pliskova, Caroline Wozniacki, Simona Halep and Victoria Azarenka all made it safely through to the second round.

DJOKOVIC UNTROUBLED

Men's defending champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-novak-djokovic-sweeps-through-under-keen-gaze-of-ivanisevic-232118">Novak Djokovic</a> was untroubled as he began his quest for a fifth Wimbledon crown that would take him level on the all-time list with Swedish great Bjorn Borg.

The Serb, with former champion Goran Ivanisevic in his box, beat Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 7-5, 6-3.

It was a bad day for two of the young guns expected to lead the new generation into a brave new era, however.

Sixth seed Alexander Zverev lost 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 to Czech Jiri Vesely while Greek 20-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas went down in five sets to Italian journeyman Thomas Fabbiano.

Tsitsipas, in particular, was highly-fancied to have a long run at the All England Club having reached the Australian Open semi-final this year but lost 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-3.

"He was just better than me today. I think the way I played, it should have been in three, not five. I don't know how I got to five. I guess with my fighting spirit, somehow I managed to win those two sets," he said.

Croatia's 40-year-old Ivo Karlovic, one of 47 men aged 30 or over in the men's singles, became the oldest man to play a first-round match in the Wimbledon singles since Ken Rosewall in 1975.

The giant Croat served 20 aces as he beat Andrea Arnaboldi in straight sets and will meet Fabbiano next.

Last year's runner-up Kevin Anderson cruised through in straight sets against Pierre-Hugues Herbert.

Eight-time champion Roger Federer and women's defending champion Angelique Kerber, as well as 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, start their campaigns on Tuesday.

American 15-year-old Cori Gauff stole the show on the opening day of Wimbledon with a debut victory over five-time champion and her inspiration Venus Williams. Gauff, the youngest woman ever to survive the qualifying tournament, played like a seasoned performer as she clinically beat the 39-year-old great 6-4, 6-4 to earn a standing ovation from an enchanted Court One crowd.

American 15-year-old Cori Gauff stole the show on the opening day of Wimbledon with a debut victory over five-time champion and her inspiration Venus Williams. Gauff, the youngest woman ever to survive the qualifying tournament, played like a seasoned performer as she clinically beat the 39-year-old great 6-4, 6-4 to earn a standing ovation from an enchanted Court One crowd. "I wouldn't say I didn't expect to win the match. I knew that I was going to go out there and play the way I play," Gauff, who claimed victory on her fourth match point, told reporters. "I wasn't surprised that I won. I mean, I was just overwhelmed at the end," Gauff said. Her victory put everything else in the shade on an opening day full of shocks in both draws. World number two and second seed Naomi Osaka lost 7-6(4), 6-2 to dangerous Kazakh Yulia Putintseva who had also got the better of her in their recent match in Birmingham - a defeat that effectively cost Osaka the number one ranking. US Open and Australian Open champion Osaka appeared close to tears when she spoke to the media later. "Can I leave? I feel like I'm about to cry," the Japanese 21-year-old said. French Open runner-up Marketa Vondrousova, the 16th seed, also bowed out but former world number ones Karolina Pliskova, Caroline Wozniacki, Simona Halep and Victoria Azarenka all made it safely through to the second round. DJOKOVIC UNTROUBLED Men's defending champion Novak Djokovic was untroubled as he began his quest for a fifth Wimbledon crown that would take him level on the all-time list with Swedish great Bjorn Borg. The Serb, with former champion Goran Ivanisevic in his box, beat Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 7-5, 6-3. It was a bad day for two of the young guns expected to lead the new generation into a brave new era, however. Sixth seed Alexander Zverev lost 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 to Czech Jiri Vesely while Greek 20-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas went down in five sets to Italian journeyman Thomas Fabbiano. Tsitsipas, in particular, was highly-fancied to have a long run at the All England Club having reached the Australian Open semi-final this year but lost 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-3. "He was just better than me today. I think the way I played, it should have been in three, not five. I don't know how I got to five. I guess with my fighting spirit, somehow I managed to win those two sets," he said. Croatia's 40-year-old Ivo Karlovic, one of 47 men aged 30 or over in the men's singles, became the oldest man to play a first-round match in the Wimbledon singles since Ken Rosewall in 1975. The giant Croat served 20 aces as he beat Andrea Arnaboldi in straight sets and will meet Fabbiano next. Last year's runner-up Kevin Anderson cruised through in straight sets against Pierre-Hugues Herbert. Eight-time champion Roger Federer and women's defending champion Angelique Kerber, as well as 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, start their campaigns on Tuesday.

Wimbledon: 15-year-old Cori Gauff stuns idol Venus Williams to steal day one limelight

Cori Gauff became the youngest player in the professional era to survive the Wimbledon qualifying draw on Thursday as the 15-year-old American thrashed Belgium's Greet Minnen 6-1, 6-1 to seal her place in next week's main draw.

Gauff, who is combining her practice sessions with her schoolwork, looked like a seasoned grasscourt player as she claimed her a third successive straight-sets victory.

"I knew I was the underdog and I was just enjoying it," Gauff, who says it would be a dream to play idols Serena or Venus Williams at <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-roger-federer-seeded-second-rafael-nadal-drops-to-three-230601&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj-5smSxYvjAhWKMI8KHeFqAv0QFjAEegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3l7uLiLFTymYDwlOAeYYAG">Wimbledon</a>, told reporters fresh from walking off court at Roehampton.

"<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/serena-williams-hopes-to-end-two-year-grand-slam-drought-at-wimbledon-230796&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi3xq-ixYvjAhUL3Y8KHf7UCjEQFjAFegQIChAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1VKpdZVsgjfg5BjDaUZt4P">Serena </a>is the reason why I play tennis and why my dad decided to get me a racket,'' Gauff said.

"Obviously, I don't care who I play I'm just happy to be in the draw but I would love to share the court with Serena. If I played any one of them it would be a dream come true," she added.

Gauff, who won the French Open junior title in 2018, was given a wildcard into the Wimbledon qualifying event and took advantage in spectacular fashion.&nbsp;

She will be the first 15-year-old in the main draw since Britain's Laura Robson in 2009.

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Remember the name. 
 
Aged 15 years and 122 days, America’s <a href="https://twitter.com/CocoGauff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CocoGauff</a> becomes the youngest <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wimbledon</a> qualifier in the Open Era after beating Greet Minnen 6-1, 6-1 <a href="https://t.co/PSWlOiRNkB">pic.twitter.com/PSWlOiRNkB</a>
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) <a href="https://twitter.com/Wimbledon/status/1144273272089055232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"I had no expectations really. I feel really blessed. My parents never put any limitations on my goals and told my to shoot as high as I can," Gauff said.

Cori Gauff became the youngest player in the professional era to survive the Wimbledon qualifying draw on Thursday as the 15-year-old American thrashed Belgium's Greet Minnen 6-1, 6-1 to seal her place in next week's main draw.

Cori Gauff became the youngest player in the professional era to survive the Wimbledon qualifying draw on Thursday as the 15-year-old American thrashed Belgium's Greet Minnen 6-1, 6-1 to seal her place in next week's main draw. Gauff, who is combining her practice sessions with her schoolwork, looked like a seasoned grasscourt player as she claimed her a third successive straight-sets victory. "I knew I was the underdog and I was just enjoying it," Gauff, who says it would be a dream to play idols Serena or Venus Williams at Wimbledon, told reporters fresh from walking off court at Roehampton. "Serena is the reason why I play tennis and why my dad decided to get me a racket,'' Gauff said. "Obviously, I don't care who I play I'm just happy to be in the draw but I would love to share the court with Serena. If I played any one of them it would be a dream come true," she added. Gauff, who won the French Open junior title in 2018, was given a wildcard into the Wimbledon qualifying event and took advantage in spectacular fashion. She will be the first 15-year-old in the main draw since Britain's Laura Robson in 2009. Remember the name. Aged 15 years and 122 days, America’s @CocoGauff becomes the youngest #Wimbledon qualifier in the Open Era after beating Greet Minnen 6-1, 6-1 pic.twitter.com/PSWlOiRNkB — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 27, 2019 × "I had no expectations really. I feel really blessed. My parents never put any limitations on my goals and told my to shoot as high as I can," Gauff said.

Cori Gauff, 15-year old American qualifies for Wimbledon

French Open champion Ashleigh Barty warmed up for Wimbledon with a comfortable 6-4, 6-3 win over Venus Williams to reach the semi-finals of the Nature Valley Classic in Birmingham on Friday.

The 23-year-old Australian fired six aces, won four break points and won 77 per cent&nbsp;of points on her first serve in a match that lasted an hour and 25 minutes.

World number two Barty was given a scare in the opening set when Williams flew into a 4-1 lead but the American was undone by her rising unforced error count (28), which gave Barty the opening she needed to get back into the contest.

"I knew my level would have to be very good today to make it a contest. Venus was an inspiration to every single girl and boy around the world, she still is," Barty said on court after her win.

"What she's been able to do for this sport is incredible. Her career has been phenomenal and it's not over yet," adding that she could "absolutely not" see herself playing at 39 like Williams.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/naomi-osakas-birmingham-exit-gives-ashleigh-barty-shot-at-number-one-229124">Barty </a>is now two wins away from becoming the first Australian woman to top the tennis rankings in more than 40 years as a title win in Birmingham will allow her to leapfrog world number one Naomi Osaka, who exited in the second round.

"You start to think ahead, it's natural, it happens," Barty said of the potential number one ranking. "It's important for me to come out and focus tomorrow. Whatever happens, happens."

Barty will now face Barbora Strycova who beat Kristyna Pliskova 6-2, 6-4.

The other semi-final will be played between Germany's Julia Goerges and Croatia's Petra Martic, who outlasted Jelena Ostapenko 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-1 in a marathon encounter.

French Open champion Ashleigh Barty warmed up for Wimbledon with a comfortable 6-4, 6-3 win over Venus Williams to reach the semi-finals of the Nature Valley Classic in Birmingham on Friday.

French Open champion Ashleigh Barty warmed up for Wimbledon with a comfortable 6-4, 6-3 win over Venus Williams to reach the semi-finals of the Nature Valley Classic in Birmingham on Friday. The 23-year-old Australian fired six aces, won four break points and won 77 per cent of points on her first serve in a match that lasted an hour and 25 minutes. World number two Barty was given a scare in the opening set when Williams flew into a 4-1 lead but the American was undone by her rising unforced error count (28), which gave Barty the opening she needed to get back into the contest. "I knew my level would have to be very good today to make it a contest. Venus was an inspiration to every single girl and boy around the world, she still is," Barty said on court after her win. "What she's been able to do for this sport is incredible. Her career has been phenomenal and it's not over yet," adding that she could "absolutely not" see herself playing at 39 like Williams. Barty is now two wins away from becoming the first Australian woman to top the tennis rankings in more than 40 years as a title win in Birmingham will allow her to leapfrog world number one Naomi Osaka, who exited in the second round. "You start to think ahead, it's natural, it happens," Barty said of the potential number one ranking. "It's important for me to come out and focus tomorrow. Whatever happens, happens." Barty will now face Barbora Strycova who beat Kristyna Pliskova 6-2, 6-4. The other semi-final will be played between Germany's Julia Goerges and Croatia's Petra Martic, who outlasted Jelena Ostapenko 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-1 in a marathon encounter.

Ashleigh Barty eases past 'inspirational' Venus Williams into Birmingham Classic semi-final

Venus Williams fought back to down third seed Petra Kvitova 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 and reach the BNP Paribas Open third round on Saturday, while Naomi Osaka got her title defence off to a flying start with a straight sets win over Kristina Mladenovic.

World number one Osaka beat Mladenovic 6-3, 6-4, the win under the stadium court lights sweet revenge for the reigning US&nbsp;and Australian Open champion after she lost to the same opponent in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships first round last month.

Osaka said it was the first time she had felt the pressure of defending a title.

"I've never been a defending champion before so I was pretty nervous and I'm glad I got the win," the Japanese 21-year-old said.

American Williams, 38, turned back the clock in the final two sets at Indian Wells, dialling up the speed on her first serves and playing stout defence to seal a win that looked unlikely when she was down a double break in the second set.

The seven-times Grand Slam champion threw her arms in the air and let out a roar when Kvitova sent a ball long on match point -- the Czech's 56th unforced error of the day.

Williams tipped her hat to the two-times Wimbledon champion after the hard-fought contest.

"She has been playing so well and you never know what's going to come off her racket," a beaming Williams said in front of a fawning crowd as night fell on her native Southern California.

"I was just happy to have your energy to get pumped up. I just love the battle."

Earlier, another American, Madison Keys, blew a late lead to fall 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 to German Mona Barthel.

The 17th-seed had the match on her racket serving with a 5-4 lead in the third set but lost three straight games, including her final service game to love, allowing the unseeded Barthel to advance.

Next up for Barthel is a meeting with countrywoman Julia Gorges, who beat Estonian Kaia Kanepi 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 behind seven aces in an evening match.

Unheralded Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova upset former world number one Caroline Wozniacki 7-5, 2-6, 7-5 in a battle that lasted nearly two-and-a-half hours in the evening session.

Alexandrova put her hands over her face in disbelief when Wozniacki was unable to return her serve on match point.

The 24-year-old will face Belinda Bencic in the third round on Monday after the Swiss cruised to a 6-4, 6-1 win earlier in the day.

Former world number one Angelique Kerber was nearly perfect en route to a 6-0, 6-2 dismantling of Yulia Putintseva, winning 93 per cent of her first service points under sunny skies.

The eighth seed will meet red-hot Russian Natalia Vikhlyantseva in the third round after the qualifier crushed Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-0.

Czech Karolina Pliskova, Latvian Anastasija Sevastova and Americans Danielle Collins and Christina McHale were among the other players who prevailed in their second-round matches on Saturday.

Venus Williams fought back to down third seed Petra Kvitova 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 and reach the BNP Paribas Open third round on Saturday, while Naomi Osaka got her title defence off to a flying start with a straight sets win over Kristina Mladenovic.

Venus Williams fought back to down third seed Petra Kvitova 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 and reach the BNP Paribas Open third round on Saturday, while Naomi Osaka got her title defence off to a flying start with a straight sets win over Kristina Mladenovic. World number one Osaka beat Mladenovic 6-3, 6-4, the win under the stadium court lights sweet revenge for the reigning US and Australian Open champion after she lost to the same opponent in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships first round last month. Osaka said it was the first time she had felt the pressure of defending a title. "I've never been a defending champion before so I was pretty nervous and I'm glad I got the win," the Japanese 21-year-old said. American Williams, 38, turned back the clock in the final two sets at Indian Wells, dialling up the speed on her first serves and playing stout defence to seal a win that looked unlikely when she was down a double break in the second set. The seven-times Grand Slam champion threw her arms in the air and let out a roar when Kvitova sent a ball long on match point -- the Czech's 56th unforced error of the day. Williams tipped her hat to the two-times Wimbledon champion after the hard-fought contest. "She has been playing so well and you never know what's going to come off her racket," a beaming Williams said in front of a fawning crowd as night fell on her native Southern California. "I was just happy to have your energy to get pumped up. I just love the battle." Earlier, another American, Madison Keys, blew a late lead to fall 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 to German Mona Barthel. The 17th-seed had the match on her racket serving with a 5-4 lead in the third set but lost three straight games, including her final service game to love, allowing the unseeded Barthel to advance. Next up for Barthel is a meeting with countrywoman Julia Gorges, who beat Estonian Kaia Kanepi 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 behind seven aces in an evening match. Unheralded Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova upset former world number one Caroline Wozniacki 7-5, 2-6, 7-5 in a battle that lasted nearly two-and-a-half hours in the evening session. Alexandrova put her hands over her face in disbelief when Wozniacki was unable to return her serve on match point. The 24-year-old will face Belinda Bencic in the third round on Monday after the Swiss cruised to a 6-4, 6-1 win earlier in the day. Former world number one Angelique Kerber was nearly perfect en route to a 6-0, 6-2 dismantling of Yulia Putintseva, winning 93 per cent of her first service points under sunny skies. The eighth seed will meet red-hot Russian Natalia Vikhlyantseva in the third round after the qualifier crushed Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-0. Czech Karolina Pliskova, Latvian Anastasija Sevastova and Americans Danielle Collins and Christina McHale were among the other players who prevailed in their second-round matches on Saturday.

Venus Williams surges, defending champ Naomi Osaka nervous but wins at Indian Wells

Venus Williams played through illness to win a seesaw opening round match against German Andrea Petkovic 6-4 0-6 6-3 at the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday.

Williams, who received medical attention from a trainer late in the first set, saved her best tennis for the biggest moments, breaking Petkovic for a sixth time in the final game to make up for a dismal second set.

Asked in an on-court interview to describe the encounter, the 38-year-old former world number one was almost at a loss for words.

"I don't know honestly. I'm still trying to figure it out," she said to laughs from the crowd on a sunny and windy day in the California desert.

"Every day is not your best day but that doesn't mean the heart and desire aren't there."

Thursday's match was just Williams' seventh of the year and first since January's Australian Open, where she fell to Simona Halep in the round of 32.

The win sets up a mouthwatering second-round clash with third seed Petra Kvitova, who holds a 4-2 edge in their previous meetings.

Canadian Eugenie Bouchard also required medical attention during the second set of her closely-fought evening match against Kirsten Flipkens, where she fell 7-5 3-6 7-5 to the German.

It was unclear what the problem was with Bouchard, who held a towel to her face while trainers attended to her during a medical timeout. But she appeared fine after the break.

The marathon battle included fantastic points from both players but Flipkens was ultimately the sharper of the pair, smacking a forehand winner cross court on matchpoint to advance to the second round of the tournament for a fifth time.

In other first-round winners on Thursday included Estonian Kaia Kanepi, Japan's Misaki Doi, American Madison Brengle and Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Venus Williams played through illness to win a seesaw opening round match against German Andrea Petkovic 6-4 0-6 6-3 at the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday. Williams, who received medical attention from a trainer late in the first set, saved her best tennis for the biggest moments, breaking Petkovic for a sixth time in the final game to make up for a dismal second set.

Venus Williams played through illness to win a seesaw opening round match against German Andrea Petkovic 6-4 0-6 6-3 at the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday. Williams, who received medical attention from a trainer late in the first set, saved her best tennis for the biggest moments, breaking Petkovic for a sixth time in the final game to make up for a dismal second set. Asked in an on-court interview to describe the encounter, the 38-year-old former world number one was almost at a loss for words. "I don't know honestly. I'm still trying to figure it out," she said to laughs from the crowd on a sunny and windy day in the California desert. "Every day is not your best day but that doesn't mean the heart and desire aren't there." Thursday's match was just Williams' seventh of the year and first since January's Australian Open, where she fell to Simona Halep in the round of 32. The win sets up a mouthwatering second-round clash with third seed Petra Kvitova, who holds a 4-2 edge in their previous meetings. Canadian Eugenie Bouchard also required medical attention during the second set of her closely-fought evening match against Kirsten Flipkens, where she fell 7-5 3-6 7-5 to the German. It was unclear what the problem was with Bouchard, who held a towel to her face while trainers attended to her during a medical timeout. But she appeared fine after the break. The marathon battle included fantastic points from both players but Flipkens was ultimately the sharper of the pair, smacking a forehand winner cross court on matchpoint to advance to the second round of the tournament for a fifth time. In other first-round winners on Thursday included Estonian Kaia Kanepi, Japan's Misaki Doi, American Madison Brengle and Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Venus Williams overcomes illness to advance at Indian Wells

Top seed Simona Halep had the odds stacked against her ahead of the Australian Open but the Romanian proved her title credentials with a breezy 6-2 6-3 third-round win over multiple Grand Slam winner Venus Williams on Saturday.

The reward for the 27-year-old French Open champion is probably the toughest challenge in the women's draw at Melbourne Park, a fourth-round date with the younger Williams sister, Serena.

Coming to the year's first Grand Slam on a five-match losing streak and without a coach, Halep had to grind her way through the first two rounds with tough three-set wins.

She started positively against Venus, though, and broke her twice to take the first set.

Venus showed more fight in the second and there was an early trade of breaks before Halep broke again to go 4-3 up before converting her first match point with a forehand winner down the line.

Top seed Simona Halep had the odds stacked against her ahead of the Australian Open but the Romanian proved her title credentials with a breezy 6-2 6-3 third-round win over multiple Grand Slam winner Venus Williams on Saturday.

Top seed Simona Halep had the odds stacked against her ahead of the Australian Open but the Romanian proved her title credentials with a breezy 6-2 6-3 third-round win over multiple Grand Slam winner Venus Williams on Saturday. The reward for the 27-year-old French Open champion is probably the toughest challenge in the women's draw at Melbourne Park, a fourth-round date with the younger Williams sister, Serena. Coming to the year's first Grand Slam on a five-match losing streak and without a coach, Halep had to grind her way through the first two rounds with tough three-set wins. She started positively against Venus, though, and broke her twice to take the first set. Venus showed more fight in the second and there was an early trade of breaks before Halep broke again to go 4-3 up before converting her first match point with a forehand winner down the line.

Top seed Simona Halep marches on with clinical win over  Venus Williams in Melbourne

In pics: Highlights of Day 4 of the Australian Open

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams made a late charge into the Australian Open third round Thursday, grinding out a win in her second three-set victory of the tournament.

The unseeded 38-year-old American came back strongly to beat Alize Cornet of France 6-3, 4-6, 6-0, setting up a meeting with top seed Simona Halep.

Williams, who played her first Australian Open in 1998, said she drew energy from the Melbourne Park crowd in the deciding set against world number 36 Cornet.

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"The first two sets were so tough and in the second I felt I was controlling the points but just falling a little bit short," she said.

"So I tried to do the same (in the third set) and not fall a little bit short. It worked out."

The veteran has reached the final at Melbourne Park twice, most recently in 2017 when she lost to sister Serena.

The siblings could meet again in the quarter-finals if results go their way.

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams made a late charge into the Australian Open third round Thursday, grinding out a win in her second three-set victory of the tournament.

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams made a late charge into the Australian Open third round Thursday, grinding out a win in her second three-set victory of the tournament. The unseeded 38-year-old American came back strongly to beat Alize Cornet of France 6-3, 4-6, 6-0, setting up a meeting with top seed Simona Halep. Williams, who played her first Australian Open in 1998, said she drew energy from the Melbourne Park crowd in the deciding set against world number 36 Cornet. Sassy Venus 😉#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/b1O2SOLPIF — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 17, 2019 × "The first two sets were so tough and in the second I felt I was controlling the points but just falling a little bit short," she said. "So I tried to do the same (in the third set) and not fall a little bit short. It worked out." The veteran has reached the final at Melbourne Park twice, most recently in 2017 when she lost to sister Serena. The siblings could meet again in the quarter-finals if results go their way.

Australian Open: Venus Williams defeats Alize Cornet to enter third round

Serena Williams lost to her sister Venus Williams on her return to the court at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship on Thursday (December 27).

Former world number one Serena was playing her first competitive match since she lost a controversial US Open final to Japan's Naomi Osaka in September.

Serena, 37, broke 38-year-old Venus' serve twice to win the first set, but faltered in the second, dropping three service games on the way to losing 6-3.

The contest went to a super tie-break.

While Venus dropped her opening serve, she outlasted Serena to win 10-8.

"Serena said I was playing well. I think we can only go up from here and that's our plan," Venus said after defeating the winner of 23 Grand Slam titles.

"It was really fun and so good to see everyone come out to support myself and Venus. It was really fun out here," Serena said.

The exhibition match is part of Serena's build-up for the Australian Open, where she will try to equal Margaret Court's tally of 24 grand slam singles titles.

Serena Williams lost to her sister Venus Williams on her return to the court at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship on Thursday (December 27). Former world number one Serena was playing her first competitive match since she lost a controversial US Open final to Japan's Naomi Osaka in September.

Serena Williams lost to her sister Venus Williams on her return to the court at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship on Thursday (December 27). Former world number one Serena was playing her first competitive match since she lost a controversial US Open final to Japan's Naomi Osaka in September. Serena, 37, broke 38-year-old Venus' serve twice to win the first set, but faltered in the second, dropping three service games on the way to losing 6-3. The contest went to a super tie-break. While Venus dropped her opening serve, she outlasted Serena to win 10-8. "Serena said I was playing well. I think we can only go up from here and that's our plan," Venus said after defeating the winner of 23 Grand Slam titles. "It was really fun and so good to see everyone come out to support myself and Venus. It was really fun out here," Serena said. The exhibition match is part of Serena's build-up for the Australian Open, where she will try to equal Margaret Court's tally of 24 grand slam singles titles.

Serena Willaims loses to sister Venus in exhibition match

American tennis ace players Serena and Venus Williams staged a stunning comeback to win their first Grand Slam doubles match after almost two years and advancing to the second round of the French Open here on Wednesday.

The Williams' sisters, who together own 14 Grand Slam doubles' titles, defeated 14th-seeded Japanese pairing of Shuko Aoyama and Miyu Kato, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.&nbsp

They last won a major tournament match at Wimbledon in 2016.&nbsp

Although the duo lost the first set of the match, they came back strongly to win the next two sets, in a gruelling match that lasted for nearly two hours.

Both Serena and Venus used their decade-long experience to thwart any chances of the Japanese seeded players getting away with the match.

Earlier on Wednesday, Serena, who was denied seeding at the Roland Garros, made a successful return to her first Grand Slam tournament since giving birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr earlier in March this year by clinching a comfortable 7-6 (4), 6-4 win over 70th-ranked Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic in the French Open.

Serena will now lock horns with 17th seed Ashleigh Barty of Australia in the second round of the women`s singles event on Thursday.

On the other hand, Venus lost to China`s Wang Qiang, 6-4, 7-5 in the first round of singles of French Open on Sunday.

The Williams' sisters, who together own 14 Grand Slam doubles' titles, defeated 14th-seeded Japanese pairing of Shuko Aoyama and Miyu Kato, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1

American tennis ace players Serena and Venus Williams staged a stunning comeback to win their first Grand Slam doubles match after almost two years and advancing to the second round of the French Open here on Wednesday. The Williams' sisters, who together own 14 Grand Slam doubles' titles, defeated 14th-seeded Japanese pairing of Shuko Aoyama and Miyu Kato, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. They last won a major tournament match at Wimbledon in 2016. Although the duo lost the first set of the match, they came back strongly to win the next two sets, in a gruelling match that lasted for nearly two hours. Both Serena and Venus used their decade-long experience to thwart any chances of the Japanese seeded players getting away with the match. Earlier on Wednesday, Serena, who was denied seeding at the Roland Garros, made a successful return to her first Grand Slam tournament since giving birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr earlier in March this year by clinching a comfortable 7-6 (4), 6-4 win over 70th-ranked Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic in the French Open. Serena will now lock horns with 17th seed Ashleigh Barty of Australia in the second round of the women`s singles event on Thursday. On the other hand, Venus lost to China`s Wang Qiang, 6-4, 7-5 in the first round of singles of French Open on Sunday.

French Open: William sisters stage comeback, advance to 2nd round

World Number 2 Roger Federer heaped praise on Serena Williams and described her as the greatest player to have played the Tennis sport.&nbsp

"She [Serena] had a totally different upbringing - I came up through Switzerland with the federation, she did it with her dad and her sister. It's an amazing story unto itself - and then she became one of the greatest, if not the greatest tennis player of all time," Federer said.

Williams has won a record 23 Grand Slam titles in women's singles in Open Era.&nbsp

The 36-year-old also moved ahead of Steffi Graf with her record seventh Australian title in 2017.

On being asked about his views on Serena-Venus Williams to compete as a wild-card entry at Roland Garros, Federer said, "I'm in full admiration of Serena. And Venus, too, by the way. It's incredible they're all still at it. Rafa's still playing, I'm still playing, Serena and Venus are still playing-and it seems like they love it more than ever."

"We know [Serena] is all the way up there. I'm probably up there with somebody, somehow. Maybe there's a group, a best of five - and if you're in that group, you should be pleased and happy. Tennis is a funky sport when it comes to that stuff," the world number 2 concluded.&nbsp

Serena, who was blessed with a baby girl in September last year, returned to the court in March, but is yet to win a title this year.&nbsp 
&nbsp

Williams has won a record 23 Grand Slam titles in women's singles in Open Era.

World Number 2 Roger Federer heaped praise on Serena Williams and described her as the greatest player to have played the Tennis sport. "She [Serena] had a totally different upbringing - I came up through Switzerland with the federation, she did it with her dad and her sister. It's an amazing story unto itself - and then she became one of the greatest, if not the greatest tennis player of all time," Federer said. Williams has won a record 23 Grand Slam titles in women's singles in Open Era. The 36-year-old also moved ahead of Steffi Graf with her record seventh Australian title in 2017. On being asked about his views on Serena-Venus Williams to compete as a wild-card entry at Roland Garros, Federer said, "I'm in full admiration of Serena. And Venus, too, by the way. It's incredible they're all still at it. Rafa's still playing, I'm still playing, Serena and Venus are still playing-and it seems like they love it more than ever." "We know [Serena] is all the way up there. I'm probably up there with somebody, somehow. Maybe there's a group, a best of five - and if you're in that group, you should be pleased and happy. Tennis is a funky sport when it comes to that stuff," the world number 2 concluded. Serena, who was blessed with a baby girl in September last year, returned to the court in March, but is yet to win a title this year.

Serena Williams 'greatest' Tennis player ever: Roger Federer

Serena Williams&#39; return to tournament tennis came to an abrupt end here Monday as she crashed out of Indian Wells with a 6-3, 6-4 loss to her sister Venus.

Venus closed out the 29th career meeting between the two on her second match point as Serena sailed a forehand long to end the third round match.

The 10th seeded Venus moves on to the round of 16 where she will face either Anastasija Sevastova or 12th seeded Julia Georges.

&quot;I&#39;m from right down the street in Compton, California. This just shows wherever you come from - if you put in the work and you believe in yourself - you can do anything,&quot; she said after winning the match.

It was the first meeting between the two sisters since they clashed in the final of the 2017 Australian Open, which Serena won before taking a 15-month hiatus due to her pregnancy.

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.<a href="https://twitter.com/Venuseswilliams?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Venuseswilliams</a> emerges as the winner of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VenusSerena29?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VenusSerena29</a>! 
 
The World No. 8 defeats sister Serena Williams 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the next round of <a href="https://twitter.com/BNPPARIBASOPEN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BNPPARIBASOPEN</a>! <a href="https://t.co/ibVJOVLhn2">pic.twitter.com/ibVJOVLhn2</a>
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It is rare for the Williams sisters to play this early in a tournament. It is the earliest they have faced each other since their first encounter at the Australian Open in 1998.

The sisters arrived outside the stadium together on a golf cart then walked through the tunnel with Serena entering the court first with many in the crowd standing and cheering.

Venus blasted six aces but had eight double faults in the one hour 26 minutes main stadium match.

Serena is still shaking off the rust after the long layoff as she hit four aces but had her serve broken four times.

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.<a href="https://twitter.com/serenawilliams?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@serenawilliams</a> comes out on top in a brilliant rally! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BNPPO18?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BNPPO18</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VenusSerena29?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VenusSerena29</a> <a href="https://t.co/MnI6lexA1z">pic.twitter.com/MnI6lexA1z</a>
&mdash; WTA (@WTA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WTA/status/973406389648306176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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This was their first encounter with Venus as an aunt and Serena as a new mother after giving birth to her baby daughter, Alexis Olympia, on September 1.

Venus&#39;s victory also comes 17 years after an ugly booing incident led to a 14-year boycott of the tournament by the sisters.

But for some, it brought closure to the once testy relationship between Indian Wells and the sisters who hail from the Los Angeles suburb of Compton.

&nbsp;

The 10th seeded Venus moves on to the round of 16 where she will face either Anastasija Sevastova or 12th seeded Julia Georges

Serena Williams' return to tournament tennis came to an abrupt end here Monday as she crashed out of Indian Wells with a 6-3, 6-4 loss to her sister Venus. Venus closed out the 29th career meeting between the two on her second match point as Serena sailed a forehand long to end the third round match. The 10th seeded Venus moves on to the round of 16 where she will face either Anastasija Sevastova or 12th seeded Julia Georges. "I'm from right down the street in Compton, California. This just shows wherever you come from - if you put in the work and you believe in yourself - you can do anything," she said after winning the match. It was the first meeting between the two sisters since they clashed in the final of the 2017 Australian Open, which Serena won before taking a 15-month hiatus due to her pregnancy. .@Venuseswilliams emerges as the winner of #VenusSerena29! The World No. 8 defeats sister Serena Williams 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the next round of @BNPPARIBASOPEN! pic.twitter.com/ibVJOVLhn2 — WTA (@WTA) March 13, 2018 × It is rare for the Williams sisters to play this early in a tournament. It is the earliest they have faced each other since their first encounter at the Australian Open in 1998. The sisters arrived outside the stadium together on a golf cart then walked through the tunnel with Serena entering the court first with many in the crowd standing and cheering. Venus blasted six aces but had eight double faults in the one hour 26 minutes main stadium match. Serena is still shaking off the rust after the long layoff as she hit four aces but had her serve broken four times. .@serenawilliams comes out on top in a brilliant rally! #BNPPO18 #VenusSerena29 pic.twitter.com/MnI6lexA1z — WTA (@WTA) March 13, 2018 × This was their first encounter with Venus as an aunt and Serena as a new mother after giving birth to her baby daughter, Alexis Olympia, on September 1. Venus's victory also comes 17 years after an ugly booing incident led to a 14-year boycott of the tournament by the sisters. But for some, it brought closure to the once testy relationship between Indian Wells and the sisters who hail from the Los Angeles suburb of Compton.

Venus Williams defeats sister Serena in Indian Wells

Serena Williams, who has not played a competitive match since capturing last year&#39;s Australian Open, will return to the court next month at a Fed Cup tie, the US Tennis Association announced Tuesday.

Williams was pregnant when she won her 23rd major crown last January in Melbourne. She gave birth to a girl, Alexis Olympia, last September and married father Alexis Ohanian in November.

The defending Fed Cup champion Americans will play host to the Netherlands in a first-round tie February 10-11 on an indoor hardcourt at Asheville, North Carolina.

Joining 22nd-ranked Williams on the US squad will be her sister seven-time Grand Slam champion, Venus, and ninth-ranked CoCo Vandeweghe, a semi-finalist at last year&#39;s US and Australian Opens in her best major results.

This will be the first time in two years that either Williams sister has been on the US Fed Cup squad. The US women have never lost in eight ties when both Williams sisters have been named to the squad, the most recent of those wins in 2015.

Serena last played Fed Cup in April 2015, when she won two singles matches in a World Group playoff loss to Italy in Brindisi.

Venus, ranked fifth, won two singles matches in her most recent Fed Cup appearance in a 2016 tie against Poland in Hawaii.

Vandeweghe went a combined 8-0 in singles and doubles for the US Fed Cup team last year, the first player with eight wins in the same year in more than 20 seasons.

The final member of the US squad and the Dutch lineup will be announced next week, the USTA announcement said.

The Americans are 6-2 against the Dutch in their all-time rivalry, but the most recent meeting was a 5-0 US home sweep in 1998. The only Dutch wins came in 1968 and 1997.

&nbsp;

Serena last played Fed Cup in April 2015, when she won two singles matches in a World Group playoff loss to Italy in Brindisi

Serena Williams, who has not played a competitive match since capturing last year's Australian Open, will return to the court next month at a Fed Cup tie, the US Tennis Association announced Tuesday. Williams was pregnant when she won her 23rd major crown last January in Melbourne. She gave birth to a girl, Alexis Olympia, last September and married father Alexis Ohanian in November. The defending Fed Cup champion Americans will play host to the Netherlands in a first-round tie February 10-11 on an indoor hardcourt at Asheville, North Carolina. Joining 22nd-ranked Williams on the US squad will be her sister seven-time Grand Slam champion, Venus, and ninth-ranked CoCo Vandeweghe, a semi-finalist at last year's US and Australian Opens in her best major results. This will be the first time in two years that either Williams sister has been on the US Fed Cup squad. The US women have never lost in eight ties when both Williams sisters have been named to the squad, the most recent of those wins in 2015. Serena last played Fed Cup in April 2015, when she won two singles matches in a World Group playoff loss to Italy in Brindisi. Venus, ranked fifth, won two singles matches in her most recent Fed Cup appearance in a 2016 tie against Poland in Hawaii. Vandeweghe went a combined 8-0 in singles and doubles for the US Fed Cup team last year, the first player with eight wins in the same year in more than 20 seasons. The final member of the US squad and the Dutch lineup will be announced next week, the USTA announcement said. The Americans are 6-2 against the Dutch in their all-time rivalry, but the most recent meeting was a 5-0 US home sweep in 1998. The only Dutch wins came in 1968 and 1997.

Serena Williams to make comeback at Fed Cup

For the first time since 1997, &nbsp;Australian Open will be without Williams sisters. Serena Williams is already out following the birth of her daughter and Venus failed to qualify for the next round.

20-year-old <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-open-20-year-old-swiss-belinda-bencic-beats-venus-williams-in-first-round-29535" target="_blank">Belinda Bencic saw off seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams</a> in the first round of Australia Open in straight sets.

Bencic recently featured with 19-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer at the Hopman Cup. He gave her advice and tips to improve the game. She had received a huge confidence boost.

&quot;I think all the week it was so great learning from him on the court or off the court,&quot; Bencic said on Federer.

&quot;Even now, I think it&#39;s amazing he&#39;s giving me advice, trying to give me tips, help me, like, looking how I&#39;m doing. That feels great. I saw him after the match... he was very happy for me,&quot; she added.

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&quot;It feels amazing to have the chance to play against both because I never thought I would ever play against them when I was a little kid.&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/BelindaBencic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BelindaBencic</a> on playing both Serena &amp; Venus.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/LNT9dQFRNF">pic.twitter.com/LNT9dQFRNF</a>
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&quot;Last year is last year. This is, like, a new year. You can&#39;t live in the previous year. It&#39;s impossible,&quot; said Venus Williams after losing.

&nbsp;

Belinda Bencic ranked No-78 beat Venus Williams in straight sets in the first round of the Australian Open on Monday

For the first time since 1997, Australian Open will be without Williams sisters. Serena Williams is already out following the birth of her daughter and Venus failed to qualify for the next round. 20-year-old Belinda Bencic saw off seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams in the first round of Australia Open in straight sets. Bencic recently featured with 19-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer at the Hopman Cup. He gave her advice and tips to improve the game. She had received a huge confidence boost. "I think all the week it was so great learning from him on the court or off the court," Bencic said on Federer. "Even now, I think it's amazing he's giving me advice, trying to give me tips, help me, like, looking how I'm doing. That feels great. I saw him after the match... he was very happy for me," she added. "It feels amazing to have the chance to play against both because I never thought I would ever play against them when I was a little kid."@BelindaBencic on playing both Serena & Venus.#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/LNT9dQFRNF — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 15, 2018 × "Last year is last year. This is, like, a new year. You can't live in the previous year. It's impossible," said Venus Williams after losing.

Watch: Belinda Bencic on first-round win over Venus Williams

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-roger-federer-and-belinda-bencic-claim-hopman-cup-28735">20-year-old Swiss Belinda Bencic</a> ranked No-78 beat Venus Williams in straight sets in the first round of the Australian Open today.

Venus, 37, who was the finalist last year was beaten by Bencic 6-3, 7-5 in just under two hours at the Rod Laver Arena.

&nbsp;Bencic will meet the winner of Johanna Larsson and Luksika Kumkhum in the next round.

In another match, last year&#39;s semi-finalist CoCo Vandeweghe was beaten by Hungary&#39;s Timea Babos 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 as Americans continued to bow out of the Australian Open on the first day.

Vandeweghe is the third American to fall on the first day with Venus Williams and US Open Champion Sloane Stephens falling earlier.

&nbsp;Sloane Stephens was beaten by China&#39;s &nbsp;Zhang Shuai 2-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2.

&quot;I would like to have played someone easier,&quot; said Bencic after beating Venus.

&quot;When I was a little girl watching on TV, I would never imagine I would play them (the Williams),&quot;&nbsp;Bencic said.

Bencic beat Venus 6-3, 7-5 in just under two hours at the Rod Laver Arena

20-year-old Swiss Belinda Bencic ranked No-78 beat Venus Williams in straight sets in the first round of the Australian Open today. Venus, 37, who was the finalist last year was beaten by Bencic 6-3, 7-5 in just under two hours at the Rod Laver Arena. Bencic will meet the winner of Johanna Larsson and Luksika Kumkhum in the next round. In another match, last year's semi-finalist CoCo Vandeweghe was beaten by Hungary's Timea Babos 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 as Americans continued to bow out of the Australian Open on the first day. Vandeweghe is the third American to fall on the first day with Venus Williams and US Open Champion Sloane Stephens falling earlier. Sloane Stephens was beaten by China's Zhang Shuai 2-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2. "I would like to have played someone easier," said Bencic after beating Venus. "When I was a little girl watching on TV, I would never imagine I would play them (the Williams)," Bencic said.

Australian Open: 20-year-old Swiss Belinda Bencic beats Venus Williams in first round

An inspired Garbine Muguruza stormed to her first Wimbledon title on Saturday, blowing away in-form American Venus Williams 7-5 6-0 with arguably the performance of her career after tight and tense early exchanges.

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Muguruza holding the Wimbledon trophy. (Reuters)
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In the first women&#39;s final played under the Centre Court roof, a high-quality first set gradually built towards a captivating conclusion after both players began with two comfortable service holds.

Muguruza saved two set points in the 10th game, the first a 19-stroke rally that ended when Williams netted a forehand. The Spaniard broke in the following game when another lung-bursting rally ended on a forehand error from the American.

An astonishing defensive lob in the next then took Muguruza to two set points, the second of which she converted.

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Venus Williams holding the runner up trophy at the Wimbledon final. (Reuters)
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That three-game sequence seemed to break the resolve of the American who, trying to become the oldest woman to win Wimbledon for 109 years, lost the second set to love in an equally astonishing turnaround.

The Venezuela-born 23-year-old sealed her second grand slam victory after a successful Hawkeye challenge of a Williams forehand that sailed just beyond the baseline.

This is Muguruza's second grand slam title

An inspired Garbine Muguruza stormed to her first Wimbledon title on Saturday, blowing away in-form American Venus Williams 7-5 6-0 with arguably the performance of her career after tight and tense early exchanges. Muguruza holding the Wimbledon trophy. (Reuters) × In the first women's final played under the Centre Court roof, a high-quality first set gradually built towards a captivating conclusion after both players began with two comfortable service holds. Muguruza saved two set points in the 10th game, the first a 19-stroke rally that ended when Williams netted a forehand. The Spaniard broke in the following game when another lung-bursting rally ended on a forehand error from the American. An astonishing defensive lob in the next then took Muguruza to two set points, the second of which she converted. Venus Williams holding the runner up trophy at the Wimbledon final. (Reuters) × That three-game sequence seemed to break the resolve of the American who, trying to become the oldest woman to win Wimbledon for 109 years, lost the second set to love in an equally astonishing turnaround. The Venezuela-born 23-year-old sealed her second grand slam victory after a successful Hawkeye challenge of a Williams forehand that sailed just beyond the baseline.

Spain's Muguruza beats Venus Williams to clinch first Wimbledon title

By Yash Jha

On June 9, seven-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one Venus Williams was involved in a car crash in Florida, which would lead to the death of a 78-year-old man two weeks later.

Less than a month later, on July 3, Williams was asked about the incident at the post-match press conference following her win in her first round clash at Wimbledon 2017 against Belgian Elise Mertens.

&quot;There are really no words to describe, like, how devastating and &ndash; yeah. I&rsquo;m completely speechless. It&rsquo;s just &ndash; yeah, I mean, I&rsquo;m just &hellip;&rdquo; a visibly shaken Williams said, before breaking down and walking out of the room.

Two weeks on from the meltdown, the 37-year-old will walk out on Center Court at the All England Club in London to contest the 131st Ladies&#39; Singles Final at Wimbledon - her ninth - knowing a win would make her the oldest female Grand Slam champion in the Open Era of tennis.

The sport, just in itself, is not all rainbows and butterflies - or strawberries and cream, to keep with the SW19 theme - and irrespective of the lessons Messrs Roger and Rafael, and Misses Serena and Venus are teaching us this year, it doesn&#39;t really get any easier on the other side of 30.

Add to that the mental strains from the incident in Florida last month, and you can see why this is history in the making - if not a tale for the ages already.

&quot;There&#39;s definitely a lot of ups and downs, and I just try to hold my head up high. In life, in sport especially, you have injuries, you have illnesses. You&#39;re not going to always be playing a 100%, but you try to...if I decide to walk out on the court I try to just compete that day,&quot; said Williams &nbsp;after her knocking out of sixth seed and local favourite Johanna Konta in the semi-final.

The American was way surer, emotionally speaking, as compared to the start of the fortnight in London. She sounded every bit the woman who had been through the troughs and crests that make the roller-coaster of sport, as indeed life.

In 2003, with the Venus-Serena combine truly reigning over the women&#39;s game, the elder sister had her first serious injury (abdomen) - she dropped outside the top-ten for the first time since 1997.

In 2006, Venus missed over half the season with injuries to her wrist - she finished the year ranked 46, her lowest since 1997.

In 2011, the then-31-year-old was diagnosed with Sj&ouml;grens Syndrome, an autoimmune disease leading to fatigue, swollen joints, dry eyes, dry mouth and heavy limbs - she finished the year outside the top-100 for the first time since 1997.&nbsp;

The year 1997 comes up a lot, for that was when Williams first broke into the upper echelons of tennis. Yes, it&#39;s been that long - Garbine Muguruza, her opponent in Saturday&#39;s final, was barely four&nbsp;years old then.

The Spanish 23-year-old was still three years away from turning professional when Williams last reached the finals at Wimbledon, in 2009 (the road to redemption has been a lengthy one).

Longevity, battling odds, strength of character, sheer bloody-mindedness - all hallmarks of a champion, which the elder of the Williams sisters has been, despite having 16 lesser Slam titles than the little one. All have been on display over the years, as they have over the last fortnight, as the tenth seed made it to the summit clash having dropped just one set.

Ironically, if Williams does win on Saturday, she will be displacing a record already belonging to the family - to her biggest competitor, to her biggest inspiration.

&quot;I miss her (Serena) so much, even more yesterday and today. And I try to take the same courage that she would have. I did think of that, and I tried to do the things she would do. I don&#39;t know that I play exactly the same way she does, but I really try to be inspired by it,&quot; Venus said two days ahead of the final.

Serena will still hold more Grand Slams, overall as well as at Wimbledon.&nbsp;

But Venus will return to the younger sister having vanquished her demons with a vintage display. Having pocketed a piece of indelible history. Having brought home, for a sixth time, the Venus Rosewater Dish.&nbsp;

Yes, that&#39;s what they call the Women&#39;s Singles silverware at Wimbledon.&nbsp;

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Five-times Wimbledon champion Venus Williams left a news conference in tears on Monday after she was asked questions about the fatal motoring accident she was involved in that led to the death of a 78-year-old man (WION)
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A win in the Wimbledon final would make Venus Williams the oldest female Grand Slam champion in the Open Era of tennis

By Yash Jha On June 9, seven-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one Venus Williams was involved in a car crash in Florida, which would lead to the death of a 78-year-old man two weeks later. Less than a month later, on July 3, Williams was asked about the incident at the post-match press conference following her win in her first round clash at Wimbledon 2017 against Belgian Elise Mertens. "There are really no words to describe, like, how devastating and – yeah. I’m completely speechless. It’s just – yeah, I mean, I’m just …” a visibly shaken Williams said, before breaking down and walking out of the room. Two weeks on from the meltdown, the 37-year-old will walk out on Center Court at the All England Club in London to contest the 131st Ladies' Singles Final at Wimbledon - her ninth - knowing a win would make her the oldest female Grand Slam champion in the Open Era of tennis. The sport, just in itself, is not all rainbows and butterflies - or strawberries and cream, to keep with the SW19 theme - and irrespective of the lessons Messrs Roger and Rafael, and Misses Serena and Venus are teaching us this year, it doesn't really get any easier on the other side of 30. Add to that the mental strains from the incident in Florida last month, and you can see why this is history in the making - if not a tale for the ages already. "There's definitely a lot of ups and downs, and I just try to hold my head up high. In life, in sport especially, you have injuries, you have illnesses. You're not going to always be playing a 100%, but you try to...if I decide to walk out on the court I try to just compete that day," said Williams after her knocking out of sixth seed and local favourite Johanna Konta in the semi-final. The American was way surer, emotionally speaking, as compared to the start of the fortnight in London. She sounded every bit the woman who had been through the troughs and crests that make the roller-coaster of sport, as indeed life. In 2003, with the Venus-Serena combine truly reigning over the women's game, the elder sister had her first serious injury (abdomen) - she dropped outside the top-ten for the first time since 1997. In 2006, Venus missed over half the season with injuries to her wrist - she finished the year ranked 46, her lowest since 1997. In 2011, the then-31-year-old was diagnosed with Sjögrens Syndrome, an autoimmune disease leading to fatigue, swollen joints, dry eyes, dry mouth and heavy limbs - she finished the year outside the top-100 for the first time since 1997. The year 1997 comes up a lot, for that was when Williams first broke into the upper echelons of tennis. Yes, it's been that long - Garbine Muguruza, her opponent in Saturday's final, was barely four years old then. The Spanish 23-year-old was still three years away from turning professional when Williams last reached the finals at Wimbledon, in 2009 (the road to redemption has been a lengthy one). Longevity, battling odds, strength of character, sheer bloody-mindedness - all hallmarks of a champion, which the elder of the Williams sisters has been, despite having 16 lesser Slam titles than the little one. All have been on display over the years, as they have over the last fortnight, as the tenth seed made it to the summit clash having dropped just one set. Ironically, if Williams does win on Saturday, she will be displacing a record already belonging to the family - to her biggest competitor, to her biggest inspiration. "I miss her (Serena) so much, even more yesterday and today. And I try to take the same courage that she would have. I did think of that, and I tried to do the things she would do. I don't know that I play exactly the same way she does, but I really try to be inspired by it," Venus said two days ahead of the final. Serena will still hold more Grand Slams, overall as well as at Wimbledon. But Venus will return to the younger sister having vanquished her demons with a vintage display. Having pocketed a piece of indelible history. Having brought home, for a sixth time, the Venus Rosewater Dish. Yes, that's what they call the Women's Singles silverware at Wimbledon. Five-times Wimbledon champion Venus Williams left a news conference in tears on Monday after she was asked questions about the fatal motoring accident she was involved in that led to the death of a 78-year-old man (WION) ×

Back from the abyss, Venus vies for history

Spain&#39;s Garbine Muguruza reached her second Wimbledon final in three years with a thumping 6-1 6-1 win over Slovakia&#39;s Magdalena Rybarikova on Thursday.

A visibly confident Muguruza needed just 64 minutes to beat the 87th-ranked Rybarikova, who had beaten third seed Karolina Pliskova and American Coco Vanderweghe on her unexpected run to the last four.

Muguruza, who lost to Serena Williams in the 2015 final, will face the winner of Thursday&#39;s other semi between Venus Williams and Britain&#39;s Johanna Konta.

The Spaniard was 3-0 up after just 10 minutes, her aggressive approach paying dividends against an opponent who looked nervous in what was the biggest game of her career to date.

&quot;I think I stepped on the court super-confident and I played well,&quot; said Muguruza, who is being coached at this tournament by Conchita Martinez, the only Spaniard to win the women&#39;s singles at the All England Club.

The women&#39;s tournament this year has been marked by some fiercely contested and tight battles but this was a disappointingly one-sided affair.

Muguruza appeared with heavy tape on her left thigh but there was no sign of any hindrance to her movement.

Indeed, she was simply stronger in every department, hitting 22 winners and just 11 unforced errors as she won 60 points to Rybarikova&#39;s 33 with her backhand down the line, fundamental to her win.

The Venezuela-born 23-year-old, the 2016 French Open winner, was quick to the net and her groundstrokes flowed easily as she rattled off the first set in just 30 minutes.

Her serve was strong and she was positive in going to the net, while Rybarikova struggled with her serve and found her returns coming up against a wave of attacks from the Spaniard.

Muguruza won ten of 13 points at the net in the first set and that lay the foundation for her dominance in the second.

The Slovak&#39;s first service game of the set was broken, as she went wide on break point and a sizzling backhand return winner down the line, the shot of the match, established another 3-0 lead.

Rybarikova had done remarkably well to reach this stage after a seventh month injury lay-off, getting herself into great form by winning International Tennis Federation tournaments at Fukuoka, Surbiton and Ilkley.

But this was a step too far. Even when she was able to hold in the second, she needed to stave off two break points to do so.

The final point was a rare rally but it ended with Rybarikova finding the net after being forced into the corner by Muguruza&#39;s relentless returns.

Muguruza will face the winner of Thursday's other semi between Venus Williams and Britain's Johanna Konta

Spain's Garbine Muguruza reached her second Wimbledon final in three years with a thumping 6-1 6-1 win over Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova on Thursday. A visibly confident Muguruza needed just 64 minutes to beat the 87th-ranked Rybarikova, who had beaten third seed Karolina Pliskova and American Coco Vanderweghe on her unexpected run to the last four. Muguruza, who lost to Serena Williams in the 2015 final, will face the winner of Thursday's other semi between Venus Williams and Britain's Johanna Konta. The Spaniard was 3-0 up after just 10 minutes, her aggressive approach paying dividends against an opponent who looked nervous in what was the biggest game of her career to date. "I think I stepped on the court super-confident and I played well," said Muguruza, who is being coached at this tournament by Conchita Martinez, the only Spaniard to win the women's singles at the All England Club. The women's tournament this year has been marked by some fiercely contested and tight battles but this was a disappointingly one-sided affair. Muguruza appeared with heavy tape on her left thigh but there was no sign of any hindrance to her movement. Indeed, she was simply stronger in every department, hitting 22 winners and just 11 unforced errors as she won 60 points to Rybarikova's 33 with her backhand down the line, fundamental to her win. The Venezuela-born 23-year-old, the 2016 French Open winner, was quick to the net and her groundstrokes flowed easily as she rattled off the first set in just 30 minutes. Her serve was strong and she was positive in going to the net, while Rybarikova struggled with her serve and found her returns coming up against a wave of attacks from the Spaniard. Muguruza won ten of 13 points at the net in the first set and that lay the foundation for her dominance in the second. The Slovak's first service game of the set was broken, as she went wide on break point and a sizzling backhand return winner down the line, the shot of the match, established another 3-0 lead. Rybarikova had done remarkably well to reach this stage after a seventh month injury lay-off, getting herself into great form by winning International Tennis Federation tournaments at Fukuoka, Surbiton and Ilkley. But this was a step too far. Even when she was able to hold in the second, she needed to stave off two break points to do so. The final point was a rare rally but it ended with Rybarikova finding the net after being forced into the corner by Muguruza's relentless returns.

Spain's Muguruza beats Rybarikova to reach Wimbledon final

Five-times champion Venus Williams rolled back the years to reach her first Wimbledon final since 2009 with a clinically-executed 6-4 6-2 victory over home hope Johanna Konta on Thursday.

Konta was looking to become the first British woman to reach the Wimbledon final since Virginia Wade lifted the trophy in 1977, but she was picked off at crucial times by Williams, who claimed the last of her Wimbledon titles nine years ago.

Williams, who will face Garbine Muguruza in Saturday&#39;s final, broke in the 10th game to clinch the first set and then turned the screw on her sixth-seeded opponent, breaking twice more to wrap up the match.

Konta saved two match points before Williams crunched a forehand past the Briton and then twirled in celebration on Centre Court.

Five-times champion Venus Williams rolled back the years to reach her first Wimbledon final since 2009 with a clinically-executed 6-4 6-2 victory over home hope Johanna Konta on Thursday. Konta was looking to become the first British woman to reach the Wimbledon final since Virginia Wade lifted the trophy in 1977, but she was picked off at crucial times by Williams, who claimed the last of her Wimbledon titles nine years ago. Williams, who will face Garbine Muguruza in Saturday's final, broke in the 10th game to clinch the first set and then turned the screw on her sixth-seeded opponent, breaking twice more to wrap up the match. Konta saved two match points before Williams crunched a forehand past the Briton and then twirled in celebration on Centre Court.

Venus beats Konta, clinically, to reach Wimbledon final

The Wimbledon tennis tournament started on 25th June and after 128 women battled each other for sixteen days, the tournament has reached the&nbsp;final stage- the semis. Following some breathtaking face-offs and thrilling matches, the final four women tennis players have entered the Wimbledon semi-finals.&nbsp;

The top 4 names include&mdash;Venus Williams, Johanna Konta, Magdalena Rybarikova and Garbi&ntilde;e Muguruza.&nbsp;

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Venus Williams is all set to play her 10th semi final match at Wimbledon. (AFP)
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Venus Williams

Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams entered the semis by defeating French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in straight set 6-3, 7-5. The match also marked her 86th win at Wimbledon in her 100th game.

Venus won her first Wimbledon title in&nbsp;2001 with her sister Serena Williams in Women&#39;s Doubles. Ever since then she has played in nine&nbsp;semi-finals at Wimbledon and won five finals.

Venus @ Wimbledon:

Women&#39;s Singles (2000) defeated Lindsay Davenport 
Women&#39;s Singles (2001) defeated Justine Henin 
Women&#39;s Singles (2005) defeated Lindsay Davenport 
Women&#39;s Singles (2007) defeated Marion Bartoli 
Women&#39;s Singles (2008) defeated&nbsp;Serena Williams

Venus will now face British player <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/johanna-konta-became-the-second-british-woman-to-enter-wimbledon-semi-finals-17845">Johanna Konta in her semi-final match on Thursday</a>.

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Johanna Konta after defeating Simona Halep in the quarter final match on Tuesday. (AFP)
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Johanna Konta

Johanna Konta beat&nbsp;Simona Halep in the quarter-final match to become the first British ladies&#39; semi-finalist at Wimbledon after Virginia Wade in 1977. It will be interesting to watch whether Britain will have another&nbsp;women&#39;s singles champion&nbsp;after a 40-year&nbsp;long wait.&nbsp;

Konta,&nbsp;just 26,&nbsp;is set&nbsp;to take on&nbsp;37-year-old Venus Williams in the semis.

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Magdalena Rybarikova reacts after winning her quarter-final match (AFP)
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Magdalena Rybarikova

Magdalena Rybarikova reserved her semi-final spot after beating Coco Vandeweghe in straight sets 6-3, 6-3. The 28-year-old Slovak will play her first Grand Slam semi-final against Garbi&ntilde;e Muguruza.&nbsp;

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Garbine Muguruza celebrating as she enter the semi-finals (AFP)
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Garbine Muguruza

Garbine Muguruza beat&nbsp;Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-4 to reach the last four. Garbine Muguruza played her first Wimbledon final in 2015 but lost to&nbsp;Serena Williams.&nbsp;

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Following some breathtaking face-offs, the final four women tennis players have entered the Wimbledon semi-finals

The Wimbledon tennis tournament started on 25th June and after 128 women battled each other for sixteen days, the tournament has reached the final stage- the semis. Following some breathtaking face-offs and thrilling matches, the final four women tennis players have entered the Wimbledon semi-finals. The top 4 names include—Venus Williams, Johanna Konta, Magdalena Rybarikova and Garbiñe Muguruza. Venus Williams is all set to play her 10th semi final match at Wimbledon. (AFP) × Venus Williams Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams entered the semis by defeating French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in straight set 6-3, 7-5. The match also marked her 86th win at Wimbledon in her 100th game. Venus won her first Wimbledon title in 2001 with her sister Serena Williams in Women's Doubles. Ever since then she has played in nine semi-finals at Wimbledon and won five finals. Venus @ Wimbledon: Women's Singles (2000) defeated Lindsay Davenport Women's Singles (2001) defeated Justine Henin Women's Singles (2005) defeated Lindsay Davenport Women's Singles (2007) defeated Marion Bartoli Women's Singles (2008) defeated Serena Williams Venus will now face British player Johanna Konta in her semi-final match on Thursday. Johanna Konta after defeating Simona Halep in the quarter final match on Tuesday. (AFP) × Johanna Konta Johanna Konta beat Simona Halep in the quarter-final match to become the first British ladies' semi-finalist at Wimbledon after Virginia Wade in 1977. It will be interesting to watch whether Britain will have another women's singles champion after a 40-year long wait. Konta, just 26, is set to take on 37-year-old Venus Williams in the semis. Magdalena Rybarikova reacts after winning her quarter-final match (AFP) × Magdalena Rybarikova Magdalena Rybarikova reserved her semi-final spot after beating Coco Vandeweghe in straight sets 6-3, 6-3. The 28-year-old Slovak will play her first Grand Slam semi-final against Garbiñe Muguruza. Garbine Muguruza celebrating as she enter the semi-finals (AFP) × Garbine Muguruza Garbine Muguruza beat Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-4 to reach the last four. Garbine Muguruza played her first Wimbledon final in 2015 but lost to Serena Williams.

Wimbledon women's semifinal: Williams vs Konta, Rybarikova vs Muguruza

Johanna Konta has become&nbsp;the first&nbsp;British woman since Virginia Wade&nbsp;to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals.

The 26-year-old British player came through after a tough fight against Romanian Simona Halep in three sets to clinch a place in the women&#39;s semi-final where she will meet five-time Wimbledon champion&nbsp;Venus Williams.

The seventh seed lost the first set but came back to beat Halep&nbsp;6-7(2), 7-6(5), 6-4 to become the first British woman to enter the Wimbledon semi-final since Virginia Wade in 1977.&nbsp;

&quot;It&#39;s a little bit surreal. I&#39;m definitely still digesting things right now,&quot; said Johanna after winning the quarter-final.&nbsp;

Ever since Virginia Wade beat Betty St&ouml;ve to win the Wimbledon title forty&nbsp;years ago, Britain&#39;s women players have failed to deliver at the premier tennis event. Johanna&rsquo;s win will no doubt spur British tennis fans who would be&nbsp;hoping to see her go all the way to the final and clinch the title.&nbsp;

Wade&nbsp;said after the match that the British player will come out as a winner in the semi-final against Venus Williams.

Johanna will now clash against Venus Williams on Thursday.

The 26-year-old British player came through after a tough fight against Romanian Simona Halep in three sets to clinch a place in the women's semi-final.

Johanna Konta has become the first British woman since Virginia Wade to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals. The 26-year-old British player came through after a tough fight against Romanian Simona Halep in three sets to clinch a place in the women's semi-final where she will meet five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams. The seventh seed lost the first set but came back to beat Halep 6-7(2), 7-6(5), 6-4 to become the first British woman to enter the Wimbledon semi-final since Virginia Wade in 1977. "It's a little bit surreal. I'm definitely still digesting things right now," said Johanna after winning the quarter-final. Ever since Virginia Wade beat Betty Stöve to win the Wimbledon title forty years ago, Britain's women players have failed to deliver at the premier tennis event. Johanna’s win will no doubt spur British tennis fans who would be hoping to see her go all the way to the final and clinch the title. Wade said after the match that the British player will come out as a winner in the semi-final against Venus Williams. Johanna will now clash against Venus Williams on Thursday.

Johanna Konta becomes first British woman since Wade to enter Wimbledon semi-finals

Venus Williams became the oldest Wimbledon semi-finalist for 23 years as the five-time champion brushed aside French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko, while Garbine Muguruza powered past Svetlana Kuznetsova to make it back to the last four on Tuesday.

Williams&#39; 73-minute masterclass on Centre Court clinched a 6-3, 7-5 victory that made her the most senior player to reach the semi-finals since Martina Navratilova in 1994.

The American star, who reached the last of her eight Wimbledon finals in 2009, faces Britain&#39;s Johanna Konta or Romania&#39;s Simona Halep in the last four on Thursday.

World number 11 Williams, beaten in this year&#39;s Australian Open final, was knocked out in the 2016 semi-finals and is chasing a first major title since winning Wimbledon in 2008.

Williams&#39; victory equalled her sister Serena&#39;s total of 86 main draw match victories at Wimbledon, the most among any active player.

She will climb back into the top 10 thanks to her Wimbledon run, but breaking Serena&#39;s record to become the tournament&#39;s oldest champion in the Open era is her sole focus.

&quot;I love this game. That&#39;s why I put in the effort and the time. It&#39;s a beautiful game. It&#39;s been so good to me,&quot; Venus said.

&quot;The competition keeps you growing. You have to get better if you want to stay relevant.&quot;

&quot;I love the challenge. It&#39;s not always easy dealing with the pressure. It&#39;s only you that can have the answer.&quot;

Twenty years after making her Wimbledon debut, Venus was playing in her 100th singles match at the All England Club, while Ostapenko was in only her eighth.

That gulf in experience was immediately apparent when Venus broke in the second game and cruised through the first set in serene fashion.

Having stunned the tennis world by becoming the first unseeded player to win the French Open last month, Ostapenko was riding an 11-match winning streak at the majors.

But Ostapenko, 20, was the youngest player left in the tournament and Venus has scythed through the draw by dispatching a series of opponents almost half her age, many of whom idolised the seven-time Grand Slam champion when they were growing up.

Williams was just too canny for the fresh-faced Ostapenko, manoeuvering her out of position time and again before delivering the kill shot.

After breaking in the third game of the second set, Williams moved into a 3-1 lead, then endured her only wobble as Ostapenko broke back.

Williams was unfazed and shattered Ostapenko&#39;s spirit with another break before serving out a commanding win.

Muguruza powered into her second Wimbledon semi-final in the last three years with an emphatic 6-3, 6-4 win over Russian seventh seed Kuznetsova.

Since winning her maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open last year, Muguruza has struggled to return to the top and this is her first major semi-final since that Roland Garros triumph.

Stormy

Muguruza, beaten by Serena in the 2015 Wimbledon final, will face Coco Vandeweghe or Magdalena Rybarikova in the last four.

The 23-year-old is being coached by Conchita Martinez, who became the only Spanish woman to win Wimbledon in 1994, and the lessons appear to have done the trick.

&quot;I played good. I&#39;m trying not to think a lot, just go for it and play my game. I&#39;m happy it worked out,&quot; Muguruza said.

&quot;It seems far away since I last made the final here. I&#39;m a completely different player.

&quot;It means a lot to make the semi-finals again, my breakthrough was here.&quot;

Following Venus onto Centre Court is Johanna Konta, who takes on Simona Halep bidding to become the first British woman to reach the semi-finals since Virginia Wade in 1978.

Not since Jo Durie in 1984 has Britain had a female representative in the last eight and Konta, hoping to become the first home winner of the Wimbledon women&#39;s title since Wade in 1977, has added incentive to go a step further against Halep after their stormy Fed Cup encounter earlier this year.

Konta was reduced to tears by what she felt were threats and intimidation from the Romanian fans in Constanta during her match against Sorana Cirstea, but Halep fanned the flames this week when she claimed her compatriots had done nothing wrong.

Halep has extra motivation of her own as a victory over Konta will guarantee she takes over from Angelique Kerber as the new world number one.

World number 11 Venus Williams has become the oldest Wimbledon semi-finalist in 23 years

Venus Williams became the oldest Wimbledon semi-finalist for 23 years as the five-time champion brushed aside French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko, while Garbine Muguruza powered past Svetlana Kuznetsova to make it back to the last four on Tuesday. Williams' 73-minute masterclass on Centre Court clinched a 6-3, 7-5 victory that made her the most senior player to reach the semi-finals since Martina Navratilova in 1994. The American star, who reached the last of her eight Wimbledon finals in 2009, faces Britain's Johanna Konta or Romania's Simona Halep in the last four on Thursday. World number 11 Williams, beaten in this year's Australian Open final, was knocked out in the 2016 semi-finals and is chasing a first major title since winning Wimbledon in 2008. Williams' victory equalled her sister Serena's total of 86 main draw match victories at Wimbledon, the most among any active player. She will climb back into the top 10 thanks to her Wimbledon run, but breaking Serena's record to become the tournament's oldest champion in the Open era is her sole focus. "I love this game. That's why I put in the effort and the time. It's a beautiful game. It's been so good to me," Venus said. "The competition keeps you growing. You have to get better if you want to stay relevant." "I love the challenge. It's not always easy dealing with the pressure. It's only you that can have the answer." Twenty years after making her Wimbledon debut, Venus was playing in her 100th singles match at the All England Club, while Ostapenko was in only her eighth. That gulf in experience was immediately apparent when Venus broke in the second game and cruised through the first set in serene fashion. Having stunned the tennis world by becoming the first unseeded player to win the French Open last month, Ostapenko was riding an 11-match winning streak at the majors. But Ostapenko, 20, was the youngest player left in the tournament and Venus has scythed through the draw by dispatching a series of opponents almost half her age, many of whom idolised the seven-time Grand Slam champion when they were growing up. Williams was just too canny for the fresh-faced Ostapenko, manoeuvering her out of position time and again before delivering the kill shot. After breaking in the third game of the second set, Williams moved into a 3-1 lead, then endured her only wobble as Ostapenko broke back. Williams was unfazed and shattered Ostapenko's spirit with another break before serving out a commanding win. Muguruza powered into her second Wimbledon semi-final in the last three years with an emphatic 6-3, 6-4 win over Russian seventh seed Kuznetsova. Since winning her maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open last year, Muguruza has struggled to return to the top and this is her first major semi-final since that Roland Garros triumph. Stormy Muguruza, beaten by Serena in the 2015 Wimbledon final, will face Coco Vandeweghe or Magdalena Rybarikova in the last four. The 23-year-old is being coached by Conchita Martinez, who became the only Spanish woman to win Wimbledon in 1994, and the lessons appear to have done the trick. "I played good. I'm trying not to think a lot, just go for it and play my game. I'm happy it worked out," Muguruza said. "It seems far away since I last made the final here. I'm a completely different player. "It means a lot to make the semi-finals again, my breakthrough was here." Following Venus onto Centre Court is Johanna Konta, who takes on Simona Halep bidding to become the first British woman to reach the semi-finals since Virginia Wade in 1978. Not since Jo Durie in 1984 has Britain had a female representative in the last eight and Konta, hoping to become the first home winner of the Wimbledon women's title since Wade in 1977, has added incentive to go a step further against Halep after their stormy Fed Cup encounter earlier this year. Konta was reduced to tears by what she felt were threats and intimidation from the Romanian fans in Constanta during her match against Sorana Cirstea, but Halep fanned the flames this week when she claimed her compatriots had done nothing wrong. Halep has extra motivation of her own as a victory over Konta will guarantee she takes over from Angelique Kerber as the new world number one.

Tennis: Venus, Muguruza into Wimbledon semi-finals

A security footage released by the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department shows Venus Williams &ldquo;lawfully&rdquo; entered a Florida intersection seconds before she was involved in a fatal crash.

Earlier, police had said Williams was the driver at fault in the June 9 accident that left Jerome Barson, a passenger in the other car, with fatal injuries.

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In a statement released on Friday, the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department said: &ldquo;Based on the evidence obtained in the ongoing investigation, it has been determined the vehicle driven by Venus Williams lawfully entered the intersection on a circular green light signal.&rdquo;

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Here&#39;s the press release update on the Venus Williams crash <a href="https://t.co/ooPE1LpKAV">pic.twitter.com/ooPE1LpKAV</a>
&mdash; Chris Shepherd (@ChrisShepherd) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisShepherd/status/883418767732199425">July 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Police, however, said that &ldquo;the investigation is still underway and a final determination of fault has not been made at this time.&rdquo;

78-year-old Jerome Barson, who suffered head injuries in the accident, died two weeks later on June 22.

 
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Police, however, said that 'the investigation is still underway and a final determination of fault has not been made at this time'

A security footage released by the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department shows Venus Williams “lawfully” entered a Florida intersection seconds before she was involved in a fatal crash. Earlier, police had said Williams was the driver at fault in the June 9 accident that left Jerome Barson, a passenger in the other car, with fatal injuries. In a statement released on Friday, the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department said: “Based on the evidence obtained in the ongoing investigation, it has been determined the vehicle driven by Venus Williams lawfully entered the intersection on a circular green light signal.” Here's the press release update on the Venus Williams crash pic.twitter.com/ooPE1LpKAV — Chris Shepherd (@ChrisShepherd) July 7, 2017 × Police, however, said that “the investigation is still underway and a final determination of fault has not been made at this time.” 78-year-old Jerome Barson, who suffered head injuries in the accident, died two weeks later on June 22.

Venus Williams lawfully entered intersection before fatal crash: Police

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