Tag: Venus Williams

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Venus Williams loses in 1st round of Australian Open tuneup event in Hobart

Venus Williams lost 6-4, 6-3 to Tatjana Maria in the first round at the Hobart International on Tuesday, less than a week before her appearance at the Australian Open.

The 45-year-old Williams received a wild-card entry for the first Grand Slam event of the year. She also had a wild card to play in Hobart, where she lost to sixth-seeded Maria in a match lasting almost 1 1/2 hours.

Williams also lost her first-round match at Auckland, New Zealand last week.

The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, who is 576th in the world rankings, broke 38-year-old Maria’s serve in the opening set. But Williams dropped serve twice, handing the set to Maria, who is 42nd on the WTA rankings.

A single service break in the second set was enough for Maria to clinch victory.

Williams has made the Australian Open singles final twice — in 2003 and 2017 — losing to her sister Serena both times.

The Australian Open begins Sunday. Williams has not played at Melbourne Park for five years and will break the age record held by Kimiko Date, the Japanese player who was 44 when she contested the 2015 Australian Open.

In another first-round result in Hobart, two-time major winner Barbora Krejčíková lost to Peyton Stearns. Krejčíková, ranked 55th and unseeded in Hobart, lost to Stearns 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4). (JapanToday)

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Venus Williams weds Andrea Preti in Florida as part of a 5-day celebration of their union

Venus Williams and Andrea Preti are married, the tennis great announced Tuesday on social media.

Williams and Preti became wife and husband over the weekend in Palm Beach, Florida, as part of a five-day celebration.

After becoming the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match in July, the 45-year-old Williams gave thanks to her fiance, who was in the stands at the DC Open. Preti is a Danish-born Italian model and actor, according to the website IMDB.

Williams hadn’t played in a tournament in 16 months until entering the event in Washington.

The seven-time Grand Slams singles champion plans to play in a 33rd straight season on the WTA Tour, starting in Auckland in January. (JapanToday)

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Venus Williams to return to Auckland Classic at the age of 45

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams will play in January’s Auckland Classic at the age of 45, tournament organisers announced Wednesday.

Williams has been awarded a wild card for the Australian Open warm-up event from January 5-11 after only returning to the circuit in August at the U.S. Open after a 16-month break.

“She is one of the great players in the modern era and her performances on the court speak for themselves,” said tournament director Nicolas Lamperin, who added that she was in “remarkable shape and form”.

“Off the court she has made an equally significant contribution to the game and to the development of female players worldwide,” he said. “Venus has had a profound influence on the evolution of women’s tennis and has inspired the next generation with her unshakeable passion for the sport.”

Williams, who won the Auckland Classic in 2015 when she beat Caroline Wozniacki in the final, has lifted five Wimbledon singles titles, two U.S. Opens and an Olympic gold, in Sydney in 2000.

Lamperin said it was a “privilege” to have Williams back at the tournament.

“All sports fans should take this opportunity to watch one of the sport’s all-time greats in action.”

Japan’s four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka was also announced as a confirmed entry for the tournament.

The Australian Open begins in Melbourne on January 18. (JapanToday)