LONDON: Venus Williams accumulated 10 aces on Tuesday by smacking serves at up to 114 mph not quite like the old days, but not too shabby, either.

She drove forehands to corners. She made her way to the net for crisp volleys. And when it was all over, the 41-year-old American celebrated her first Wimbledon match win since 2018 by raising her arms and yelling “Come on!” before reprising her familiar smile-and-twirl wave at Court Number 3.

A five-time singles champion at the All England Club who is making her 23rd appearance there, Venus began her record-extending 90th Grand Slam tournament with her 90th career victory at Wimbledon, beating Mihaela Buzarnescu of Romania 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

Venus is a former top-ranked player who came into this week ranked 111th and having lost in the first or second round at the past eight majors.

“You can’t win them all. Life is about how you handle challenges. Each point is a challenge on the court. No one gives you anything,” said Venus, who was diagnosed a decade ago with Sjogrens syndrome, an autoimmune disease that can cause fatigue and joint pain. “I like to think I handle my challenges well.”

The schedule on the second day of the tournament, like on the first, was jumbled by showers. At least 18 matches were postponed until Wednesday and a dozen were suspended in progress shortly after Venus finished off a victory that lasted more than 2½ hours.

Women’s top seed Ashleigh Barty came through 6-1, 6-7 (1-7), 6-1 against Carla Suarez Navarro in a match filled with emotion on Centre Court, whose roof ensured the match could be finished.

Barty’s Spanish opponent made sure her 11th and final appearance at the Championships went the distance just months after returning from a winning fight against cancer.

Barty is bidding to add the senior singles Wimbledon title to her 2011 junior crown on the 50th anniversary of her fellow indigenous Australian’s Evonne Goolagong Cawley’s first title.

Other winners included 2018 champion Angelique Kerber, top seed Ash Barty, eighth-seeded Karolina Pliskova, 15th seed Maria Sakkari, two-time Slam finalist Vera Zvonareva, 2020 French Open semi-finalist Nadia Podoroska and Americans Shelby Rogers, Madison Brengle and qualifier Claire Liu.

Another US woman, 28th seed Alison Riske, was beaten 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 by Tereza Martincova of the Czech Republic.

In men’s action, 20-year-old American Sebastian Korda whose father, Petr, won the 1998 Australian Open and whose sisters, top-ranked Nelly and Jessica, are on the LPGA Tour made a successful Wimbledon debut, eliminating Australian number one Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (5).

Fourth seed Alexander Zverev, ninth-seeded Diego Schwartzman and 26th seed Fabio Fognini also advanced.

Results on Tuesday (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s singles:

First round: Egor Gerasimov (Belarus) bt Jay Clarke (Great Britain) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2; 4-Alexander Zverev (Germany) bt Tallon Griekspoor (Netherlands) 6-3, 6-4, 6-1; Sebastian Korda (US) bt 15-Alex De Minaur (Australia) 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5); 9-Diego Schwartzman (Argentina) bt Benoit Paire (France) 6-3, 6-4, 6-0; 26-Fabio Fognini (Italy) bt Albert Ramos Vinolas (Spain) 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, 6-4; 22-Dan Evans (Great Britain) bt Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, 7-5.

Women’s singles:

First round: Andrea Petkovic (Germany) bt Jasmine Paolini (Italy) 6-4, 6-3; 25-Angelique Kerber (Germany) bt Nina Stojanovic (Serbia) 6-4, 6-3; 1-Ashleigh Barty (Australia) bt Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) 6-1, 6-7 (1-7), 6-1; Venus Williams (US) bt Mihaela Buzarnescu (Romania) 7-5, 4-6, 6-3; Liudmila Samsonova (Russia) bt Kaia Kanepi (Estonia) 6-4, 6-2; Madison Brengle (US) bt Christina McHale (US) 3-6, 7-5, 10-8; 8-Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) bt Tamara Zidansek (Slovenia) 7-5, 6-4; Tereza Martincova (Czech Republic) bt 28-Alison Riske (US) 6-2, 4-6, 6-1; Lin Zhu (China) bt Mona Barthel (Germany) 6-7 (2-7), 6-3, 6-3; Vera Zvonareva (Russia) bt Marie Bouzkov (Czech Republic) 7-5, 6-4; 13-Elise Mertens (Belgium) bt Harriet Dart (Great Britain) 6-1, 6-3; Nadia Podoroska (Argentina) bt Ann Li (US) 6-4, 7-6 (7-1); Claire Liu (US) bt Misaki Doi (Japan) 2-6, 6-3, 9-7; Shelby Rogers (US) bt Samantha Stosur (Australia) 6-1, 5-7, 6-3; Donna Vekic (Croatia) bt Anastasia Potapova (Russia) 6-1, 6-4; 21-Ons Jabeur (Tunisia) bt Rebecca Peterson (Sweden) 6-2, 6-1; 15-Maria Sakkari (Greece) bt Arantxa Rus (Netherlands) 6-1, 6-1.

Monday’s remaining results:

Men’s singles:

First round: Pedro Martinez (Spain) bt Stefano Travaglia (Italy) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4; Liam Broady (Great Britain) bt Marco Cecchinato (Italy) 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 Vasek Pospisil (Canada) bt Roberto Carballes Baena (Spain) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3; 25-Karen Khachanov (Russia) bt Mackenzie McDonald (US) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3); Andy Murray (Great Britain) bt 24-Nikoloz Basilashvili (Georgia) 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 Dominik Koepfer (Germany) bt 27-Reilly Opelka (US) 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2.

Women’s singles:

First round: Kristie Ahn (US) bt Heather Watson (Great Britain) 2-6, 7-6 (7-3), 8-6; Irina-Camelia Begu (Romania) bt Katie Volynets (US) 6-4, 7-5; 18-Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan) bt Kristina Mladenovic (France) 6-4, 6-0.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2021