Venus Williams loses to Swiss teen on return to competition
The Hindu
Venus Williams, the seven-times Grand Slam champion, fell to Swiss teenager Celine Naef in three sets at the Libema Open grasscourt tournament
Venus Williams' return to action following a five-month injury layoff ended in defeat as the seven-times Grand Slam champion fell to Swiss teenager Celine Naef in three sets at the Libema Open grasscourt tournament in Rosmalen, Netherlands.
With sister Serena, who retired last year, watching on in the crowd, the 42-year-old Williams started brightly but lost the closely fought second in the tiebreak before fading away in the decider on June 13. The former World No. 1, a five-time winner at Wimbledon, lost 3-6 7-6 (6-3) 6-2 to 17-year-old Naef in two hours and 18 minutes.
"I cannot believe I had the chance to play against Venus," Naef said after her first win on the WTA Tour. "She's an amazing player and really a role model for anyone."
Williams, who was handed a wildcard for the tournament, had been sidelined since January after sustaining a hamstring injury in Auckland that forced her to withdraw from the Australian Open. She won her last major singles title in London in 2008. This year's Wimbledon tournament begins on July 3.
Asian Games champion Avinash Sable opened his season in the 3000m steeple chase with a silver in the Portland Track Festival, a World Athletics Continental Tour bronze event, in Oregon on Saturday. He clocked 8:21.85s. Asian champion Parul Chaudhary took the bronze in the women’s 3000m steeple chase in a season-best 9:31.38s. Former Asian bronze medallist Sanjivani Jadhav struck gold in the women’s 10,000m in 32:22.77s, a time which was a second off her personal best, while Seema was sixth in 32:55.91s.