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SPORTSWednesday 20 January 2016
Resurgent Venus stopped in 1st round at Australian Open
Venus Williams of the United States makes a forehand return to Johanna Konta of Britain during there more than an hour.” spanned a remarkable 69
their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Tues- The Sydney- born British Grand Slam tournaments.
day, Jan. 19, 2016. player did last more than And counting.
an hour on Tuesday — one “It’s irrelevant how old
(AP Photo/Aaron Favila) hour, 19 minutes to be ex- (Venus) is because she’s
act — to reach the second such a champion with so
JUSTIN BERGMAN — When Johanna Konta first round of the Australian round with a 6-4, 6-2 vic- much experience and so
tory. much knowledge about
Associated Press found out she was play- Open, she thought to her- For the first time in a long the game,” said Konta,
time, the resurgent Williams who was born in Australia
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) ing Venus Williams in the self, “I just hope I stay out was on the long list of wom- to Hungarian parents and
en’s favorites coming into moved to Britain a decade
a Grand Slam tournament. ago.
She had reached the quar- “Even if she’s playing with
terfinals at the Australian one leg out there, you’ve
Open last year and finished got to really take care of
a career-reviving year with things on your own, be-
three titles to break back cause she’s an incredible
into the top 10 after a four- player.”
year hiatus. Williams did have both of
But the 35-year-old Ameri- her legs against Konta at
can, who was seeded Rod Laver Arena, but little
eighth in her 16th appear- else in her game was work-
ance at Melbourne Park, ing. She lacked pop on
fell in her opening match to her serve, hitting just one
a player making her tour- ace to five for Konta, and
nament debut. couldn’t match the No.
Williams has lost in the first 47-ranked player’s power
round of a major eight times from the baseline.q
— in a career that has now
Verdasco Shocks Nadal in Round 1 of Australian Open
Continued from page 17 10 John Isner, no. 13 Milos Dmitry Tursonov retired with against a top-two player, unchecked in tennis.
Raonic and Lleyton Hewitt, what appeared to be an I’m so happy, so excited.” The ATP and the other gov-
Stan Wawrinka, who beat the two-time major winner upper leg injury. Williams lost 6-4, 6-2 to Jo- erning bodies for tennis
Nadal in the 2014 Austra- who is playing his 20th and After beating Halep, Zhang hanna Konta, her eighth have denied the allega-
lian final, and four-time last Australian Open tour- burst into tears when first-round loss at a major. tions, and no players have
runner-up Andy Murray nament before retiring. asked about breaking the No. 3 Garbine Muguruza been identified in the re-
advanced, along with French Open champion drought. and No. 7 Angelique Ker- ports, but Murray said the
No. 8 David Ferrer, No. Wawrinka was leading 7-6 “I think in my life, it’s the best ber advanced along with authorities should have
(2), 6-3 when his opponent tennis,” she said. “To win two-time Australian Open taken a more obvious lead
champion Victoria Az- in stamping it out.
erenka, who closed play “I just think that it should be
on center court with a 6-0, tennis that does a better
6-0 rout of Alison Van Uyt- job of explaining,” Murray
vanck. said.
No. 2-ranked Murray, who “You have to be proactive
opened with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 with things like this and go
win over Alexander Zverev, and speak to the players
answered questions about rather than them reading
reports, published by the about it in the newspapers
BBC and Buzzfeed News, or listening to it on the TV or
that match-fixing had gone the radio.”q
