Venus Williams played as sweetly as ever — even if she has given up sugar.
This is the 20th U.S. Open since her first match at Arthur Ashe Stadium and 18th appearance at age 36.
"I guess 36 is the new 26,'' Williams said.
As the sixth seed, Williams rolled into the third round Thursday with a 6-2, 6-3 dismantling of Julia Georges of Germany under the closed roof of the stadium, keeping alive the possibility of another All-Williams semifinal.
Sjrogren's disease — an energy-sapping illness she was diagnosed with five years ago — figured to prematurely end her career. But she still is going strong all these years after her 1997 Open debut when she rolled to the finals.
"[That] was a long time ago,'' Williams said. "I'm so grateful to still be playing, still winning matches. I can't wait for the next round."
Her recent change to a sugar-less diet was not a recommendation from her doctors because of her ailment. But it's working nevertheless.
"I feel it's helping or else I would start eating it again,'' Williams said. "Eating sugar is really fun. As long as it's working I'll be off of it."
"It's something I wanted to try. I'm always trying something different to find a peak performance."
Her ranking has climbed too nicely for her to miss sugary treats.
"Honestly, I don't,'' said Williams, who always has been the slimmer sister. "I can fit in my clothes. I feel good. When you're having results, I don't really miss the past. But if it's not working and you still feel the same, it's like why not go back?''
Williams has bridged two eras — part of the first day-session that needed a roof cover while, with her braids flying, also playing the second-ever match in Ashe's history in 1997 against Larisa Neiland. Williams still wore her multi-colored, purplish hair in braids Thursday.
"I was dreadfully nervous — it was so tough,'' Venus said of '97. "I just remember getting real comfortable by the time I lost the first set [7-5]. I felt like 'OK, I'm ready to play.' Winning that match was a huge step in my career.''
The roof's first day-card presence didn't deliver any competitive play as the three matches went swiftly and in straight sets.
Before Williams' romp, fifth-seeded Simona Halep routed Luciana Safarova of Czech Republic 6-3, 6-4 in 88 minutes. Then second seed Andy Murray, the Wimbledon champion and Olympic gold medalist, bounced Spanish journeyman Marcel Granollers 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 in 2:22 to move into the third round.
Murray had a bizarre anecdote from the Olympics, when asked if he felt safe after the incident with Kateryna Bondarenko when a spectator ran onto the court Wednesday. Murray said something strange happened at the Olympics.
"A kid jumped on the court after one of our matches and ran onto the court and asked for his pen back,'' Murray said. "I had signed his hat and then gone away with his pen. He jumped onto the court and asked for the pen back."
Nick Kyrgios' 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 win over Argentine Horacio Zeballos sent him into the third round, with Stan Wawrinka's victory over Italian Alessandro Giannessi leaving them each a step away from a potential fourth-round grudge match.
Kyrgios had engaged in next-level trash talk in an earlier meeting when he suggested that his fellow Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis had slept with Wawrinka's girlfriend, Donna Vekic, and added a mocking "sorry about that, mate."
Apparently, Frenchmen Gael Monfils, one of the flakes of the tour, doesn't need a roof to get in a practice session in a downpour.
As torrential rain fell on the outdoor practice courts, Monfils kept hitting through the drops and puddles and looked wetter than the English Channel. When he finally stopped, he stayed on the drenched court with two of his practice players, engaging in a form of bocce ball.
Each of the three rolled the wet tennis ball through the sopping court. The idea was to come closest to the wet baseline as they found a way to kill time.
Samantha Stosur, 17th-seed and a 2011 U.S. Open champ from Australia, was beaten by 51st-ranked Zhang Shuai 6-3, 6-3 in a second-round match. There wasn't a single serve-and-volley point won in the match.
Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music, Soaps
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99
Babe Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonth.html
Hunk Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonthman.html
0 comments:
Post a Comment