Venus Williams won in straight sets over 16th seed Veroninka Kudermetova at the ATP/WTA Cincinnati Masters on Tuesday (15/8) WIB, bagging her first win in four years over a top 20 player.
The 43-year-old US veteran, who earned a wild card in Cincinnati, came back in style to beat world number 14 Kudermetova 6-4 7-5. The seven-time Grand Slam champion, whose career spans four different decades, showed incredible grit to come back from 4-1 down in the opening set before overturning 5-1 down in the second to seal victory.
“I love this game, that’s what I do. The last few years have been difficult because of injuries,” said Williams, as broadcast AFP, Tuesday (15/8). “I want to be able to be here and be strong, and be myself and that’s important to me, and I’m trying to get there,” he continued. Williams’ match, a semifinalist in Cincinnati in 2012, was interrupted by rain before she completed her win.
In other matches, 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens marked her 12th appearance by beating Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto 7-5 6-2. “This (summer) series has been tough so far. In D.C. it’s been raining.
Last week, it rained in Montreal. It’s raining again this Sunday,” complained Stephens. In the men’s sector, Felix Auger-Aliassime won the fight after his opponent, former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini was injured, winning 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Auger-Aliassime, the 12th seed, missed last week’s hometown ATP Masters in Toronto because his recovery from injury is not complete. Meanwhile, top seed Carlos Alcaraz will open his match on Wednesday (16/8), after receiving a bye. He will face Jordan Thompson, who beat 2013 finalist John Isner 7-6 (7/5) and 7-6 (7/2).
