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Tuesday 4 July 2023

Venus Williams falls early in her first match at her 24th Wimbledon

and loses

By HOWARD FENDRICH hands that either pro-
AP Tennis Writer duced clean winners or led
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) to forced errors by Svitolina.
— As Venus Williams en- There also were 33 un-
tered Centre Court for her forced errors, 18 more than
24th Wimbledon appear- Svitolina. Williams’ total in
ance at age 43, greeted that category included
by a standing ovation, she eight double-faults.
held a green exercise band The tumble that brought
overhead with both hands a hush over the stadium
and stretched it while strid- came after merely 12 min-
ing to her sideline seat. utes of play and, as she
Once her first-round match stayed down on the grass,
against Elina Svitolina be- getting chalk on her left leg,
gan, Williams played like a it appeared as if she might
throwback version of her- need to stop. The chair um-
self. Those big serves. Those pire rushed over to check
crisp strokes. Quickly, she on Williams. So did Svitolina,
was a point from a 3-0 lead carrying a white towel to
on Monday. tuck under Williams’ head.
And then, moving forward “I’m a competitor. That’s
to attempt a volley, Wil- what I do for a living. I
liams slipped on the green did what I could today,”
grass. Her right foot gave Officials assist after Venus Williams of the US slipped as she plays Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, left, in a Williams said later. “I’ve
way. She collapsed to the first round women’s singles match on day one of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, played through a lot of
ground. She shrieked and Monday, July 3, 2023. matches and won a lot of
clutched at her right knee, Associated Press matches injured. Its kind of
which already was cov- compete in the main draw like truly,” said Swiatek, the French Open final last a specialty of mine. I just
ered by a beige sleeve. Wil- at Wimbledon. “Right now, who has won four major year. Williams’ other four ti- never figured it out today.”
liams twice was treated by I’m kind of in shock. I can’t titles but is yet to get past tles at the All England Club Still, the crowd certainly
a trainer including getting believe this happened. It’s the fourth round at the All arrived in 2001, 2005, 2007 was appreciative of the
that knee taped up during bizarre. I’m still processing England Club. and 2008, too, along with a persistence and effort Wil-
a medical timeout after the it at the moment,” Williams Something of a surprise ar- pair of U.S. Open trophies in liams displayed on Mon-
first set and although the said at her news confer- rived at No. 1 Court just be- singles plus 14 in women’s day, rising to salute her and
American kept playing, she ence, more than an hour fore darkness arrived Mon- doubles with her younger shower her with applause
could not manage to over- after the match ended. day, when Coco Gauff sister, Serena, who retired when she left the court with
come 2019 Wimbledon “What makes this one hard who burst onto the scene after last season. a quick wave and a slight
semifinalist Svitolina in a 6-4, to process is that I’ve had at age 15 by beating Wil- The older Williams also was hitch in her step. During
6-3 defeat. “I’m not sure so many injuries. ... This is not liams in the opening round the runner-up at Wimble- the match, there were too
what I’ve done. I’m going what I want for myself.” at Wimbledon was elimi- don four times, most re- many cries of “Go, Venus!”
to have to investigate it to- Svitolina was only 2 when nated by Sofia Kenin 6-4, cently during a resurgent or “You can do it!” to count.
morrow. It’s late today. But Williams made her Wimble- 4-6, 6-2 in a highlight-reel 2017, a season in which Truth is, both players are
it was quite painful,” Wil- don debut in 1997 and just matchup between two she reached a total of two sympathetic figures, and
liams said. “Grass is inher- 5 when Williams won the Americans. While Kenin finals and another semifi- Svitolina, who is 28, heard
ently going to be slippery; event for the first time in did win the 2020 Australian nal at majors. Since then? her own support from the
you’re going to fall at some 2000. “It’s always a plea- Open, even knocking off Williams who announced stands. She is from Ukraine
point. It was just bad luck sure to play against Venus,” Gauff along the way, she her diagnosis with Sjögren’s which has been under at-
for me. I started the match Svitolina said, calling her had exited in the first round syndrome, an energy-sap- tack from Russia for nearly
perfectly. I was literally kill- opponent a “big legend.” at each of her past three ping auto-immune disease 1 1/2 years and returned to
ing it. And then I got killed No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek, majors, is ranked just 128th that can cause joint pain, the tour in April after giving
by the grass.” Williams, a who won her opening and needed to go through in 2011 has lost in the first birth in October to the first
former No. 1 now ranked match 6-1, 6-3 against Zhu qualifying rounds to get round at 10 of her most re- child for her and her hus-

outside the Top 500 after a Lin, used that same term into the main draw at Wim- cent 15 Grand Slam events. band, tennis player Gael
series of injuries that limited “legend” to describe Wil- bledon. Gauff, meanwhile, There were some vintage Monfils. Svitolina wound up
her to 22 matches since the liams. “I admire (how) she was seeded No. 7 and es- moments on Monday. with more aces than Wil-
start of 2021, was the old- still finds motivation to play. tablished herself as a con- Serves at up to 117 mph. liams, 6-2, and nearly twice
est player in this year’s field I think it’s amazing. She re- sistent Week 2 presence at The big cuts on forehands as many total winners, 28-
and the fourth-oldest to ally must love the game, Slams, including a run to and two-handed back- 16.q