Venus Williams leaps ahead Bethanie Mattek-Sands in round one – US Open 2012
Former world number one, Venus Williams, plonked the 212th ranked compatriot, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, in the opening round clash of the US Open Championship in New York. She clinched the second round berth with straight
sets 6-3, 6-1 triumph.
Williams commented at the end of the encounter, “Bethanie and I have played a number of times in singles and doubles and she's always tough, so I'm happy it was in straight sets today. I was really happy with my serve today, especially
with how windy it was today. Last summer everything was so hard, and I didn't really understand why.”
She further added, “Every day I wanted to quit at practice. I would tell myself, 'Maybe tomorrow I'll feel better. Just keep going.' It was very difficult. This year when I practice I don't want to quit. It's a huge difference.
To be in a major and just want to walk off the court is tough.”
The American superstar failed to hold serve in the first game but she fought back into the contest with a breakthrough in the fourth game that levelled the scores at 2-2. She continued to power down her opponent with back-to-back
winners and managed to squeeze another breakpoint in the sixth game that mounted a lead of 4-2 on her rival.
Sands was unable to counter back and equalize the scores. It was a convincing start for the American powerhouse who seeks uplift in her current ranking which is 46 in the world. Williams had played three matches before this with
the 27-year-old compatriot and had won all of them; making her stance a lot stronger.
Both players commenced the second set with a serve hold. However, Williams took over from that stage; grabbed three breakpoints in a row and held her serve with ease to make sure that there was absolutely no chance allotted to
her rival to bounce back into the contest. Spectators were happy to see one of their supreme tennis professional back in form.
The sixth seed German, Angelique Kerber, is set to take on Venus Williams in the following round of play.
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