NEW YORK, Aug 30: Two-time US Open champion Venus Williams suffered her most lopsided loss in 24 appearances at the Grand Slam tournament with a 6-1 6-1 defeat at the hands of qualifier Greet Minnen in the first round on Tuesday.
The Belgian smacked 24 winners and saved all six break points she faced to dispatch the veteran American, who she reveres. Former world number one Williams’ best chance of climbing back into the contest came when she had a break point opportunity in the opening game of the second set but she failed to convert.
The hard-hitting Minnen would break the next game at love and cruise to victory in the match that lasted just 75 minutes. Seven-time Grand Slam winner Williams, whose younger sister Serena retired after last year’s US Open with 23 major titles to her name, said she was prepared to come to Flushing Meadows without her sibling playing.
Murray wins
Andy Murray will have his family with him to celebrate his 200th Grand Slam match win on Tuesday, as the Briton joined rare company with a straight-sets defeat of France’s Corentin Moutet in the US Open first round.
The 36-year-old is only the ninth man to earn 200 match wins in major competition, despite an abdominal injury that cut short his North American hardcourt campaign ahead of the year’s final major. The former world number one was on the verge of retirement in 2019 with a lingering hip issue but said he was targeting 800 career wins after making a run to the Doha final earlier this year. The Scot is currently on 730 wins.
Medvedev, Zverev, Berrettini advance
Former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev hardly broke any sweat in reaching the second round at the US Open, dispatching Hungarian Attila Balazs 6-1, 6-1, 6-0, here on Tuesday. Alexander Zverev of Germany cruised past Aleksandar Vukic 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to enter the second round.
The 2019 US Open semifinalist Matteo Berrettini displayed flashes of brilliance and served 11 aces to defeat No.29 seed Ugo Humbert in straight sets in Round 1. Berrettini won the repeat clash of the 2019 edition, winning 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 in the 2023 edition.
Jabeur overcomes breathing trouble
Last year’s finalist Ons Jabeur of Tunisia defied breathing difficulties to edge past Colombian youngster Camila Osorio 7-5, 7-6(4) to reach the women’s singles second round at the US Open on Tuesday.
The 2022 runner-up, who turned 29 on Monday, defied breathing difficulties to edge Colombian youngster Camila Osorio just about put the icing on the cake for a belated birthday celebration with a gutsy performance inside Louis Armstrong Stadium.Jabeur sprinkled in her trademark drop shots and looping lobs, changing the direction at will, to race 4-1 ahead. The Tunisian will next play Czech Republic teenager Linda Noskova, who is a 6-2, 6-1 winner over Madison Brengle, on Thursday. In other first-round matches Katie Boulter of the United Kingdom defeated Diane Parry of France 6-4, 6-0 while Maria Tatjana of Germany lost to Petra Martic of Croatia 6-2, 6-1. (IANS)
