Sport
Australian Open: Venus Williams defeats Galina Voskoboeva to advance to round 2
Venus Williams returns a serve at Australian Open against Galina Voskoboeva
Venus Williams used her powerful serve to full effect to start her Australian Open campaign with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan on Monday.
The seven-time Grand Slam winner was forced to miss last year’s Australian Open due to illness, and the crowd welcomed her back to Melbourne Park with extended applause.
“She’s back and fiery!” the announcer told the crowd, as Williams warmed up for the first-round match, which marked her 58th trip to a Grand Slam tournament.
The 32-year old American played with power and determination, taking an early command of the match. She whacked winners and a steady stream of powerful serves with a first-serve percentage of 70 percent. She also took advantage of six of 11 break-point opportunities.
Williams hit two back-to-back aces – both over 180 kph (112 mph) – to take a quick 5-1 lead and then broke to win the first set in 31 minutes.
“Obviously it’s nice to spend less time on the court, and not be in long sets,” Williams said. “Obviously a win is a win no matter what it is, but it’s nice when it’s more routine.”
The next set went faster. Williams didn’t drop a game, wrapping up the match in an hour flat with a beautiful backhand passing shot.
