With US Secretary of State John Kerry and gymnastics gold medal favourite Simone Biles looking on, seven- times grand slam victor Williams won the first set but became frustrated as the match wore on, losing 4-6 6-3 7-6 (5) to the world number 62.
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World number one Serena Williams and second seed Angelique Kerber progressed through the first round of the Rio Olympics tennis on Sunday despite windy conditions that delayed play on most of the smaller tennis courts. When Gavrilova managed to break Williams at love to make it 5-4, it looked like Williams might have been buckling a bit from a trying start to her Rio Games. She’ll be followed by the defending gold medalist in men’s singles (and silver medalist in mixed doubles) Andy Murray of Great Britain. “I qualified for it, I worked a year for this, not to get medal but just to qualify and come here, but then to beat Venus Williams, one of the biggest champions in our history, on centre court, gives me goose bumps all over the place”. Fernandez did, and she said Williams was still hoping to play doubles but had been ill since before arriving in Brazil.
One player who thrived in the Rio sun was Australia’s John Millman, who become the first Olympian to win a men’s singles match without losing a game. The slow-paced court seemed to be making it more hard for the players to hit through their opponent, causing for the majority of the points to end on an error. Seven of the country’s eight singles players were in action, and they went 2-5.
Gavrilova found early joy by coming to the net and intercepting Williams’ power strokes, but she was pushed further and further back as the world number one took control. And Venus, and sister Serena, have taken so much pride in the games.
“I had a chance to come back in the third set but every time I came close to pegging her back, I missed the opportunity”, she added. “You have to hit about three or four more shots or just play a little bit better. I could have used the extra day”, The Polish No. 1 said.
U.S. Tennis Association spokesman Tom LaDue tells The Associated Press that Williams will be available for her doubles match Sunday despite being sick.
Serena Williams owns four gold medals: in singles at London four years ago, and in doubles in 2000, 2008 and 2012, each time with Venus.
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