On Sunday, Venus Williams was within two games of securing her first Grand Slam singles victory for almost five years.
Williams last won a Grand Slam singles match at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, and on Sunday, it seemed the American star would end her drought while leading 7-6, 3-6, 4-0 against world number 69 Olga Danilovic.
Unfortunately for fans of the tennis superstar, the momentum quickly shifted and Danilovic rattled off the next six games in double-quick time.
The Serbian player admitted that it was ‘not easy’ to face an opponent of Williams’ stature, as evidenced by the competitive nature of the contest.
Moreover, Williams, despite being 45 years old, proved herself a worthy competitor; justifying her wildcard selection for the Australian Open.
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After the match, Williams discussed her level of play with reporters in Australia, while noting the influence of the Australian Open crowd on her game.
Venus Williams says she is ‘playing better with each match’ after losing at the Australian Open
“Yeah, it was such a great game, such a great moment,” Williams told reporters after the contest.
“The energy from the crowd was amazing. That lifted me up so much.
“She played a great game. Also some luck there, as well. That’s just the sport. That’s how it works sometimes. But it was an amazing moment.”
Williams was then asked if there was a moment – after building a 4-0 lead in the final set – where she felt the momentum shift towards Danilovic.
The American responded: “Yeah, at 4-Love I felt good. Also it’s the biggest lead I’ve had since I’ve been back [smiling]. In a lot of ways I’m having to relearn how to do things again, if that makes any sense.
“I’m really proud of my effort today because I’m playing better with each match, getting to the places that I want to get to. Right now I’m just going to have to keep going forward and working on myself and working to control my errors.
“Those are things, too, that come with playing extra matches, like getting your feet in the exact right position, you know, choosing the right shots, all of those things that I’m still learning.
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“It’s kind of weird, but it’s super exciting to have played that well and to get myself in that position and come very close.”
As for Danilovic, she will face either Coco Gauff or Kamilla Rakhimova in the Australian Open second round.
If the Serbian player advances further, she will play Hailey Baptiste, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro or Australian qualifier Storm Hunter in the third round.
Venus Williams is set to play Australian Open doubles
On Tuesday morning, Venus Williams’ Australian Open campaign will continue when she pairs up with Ekaterina Alexandrova for the women’s doubles event.
The pair will face Elsa Jacquemot and Emiliana Arango in the first round.
Williams will be confident of advancing to the second round. After all, she has enjoyed success in doubles since making her return to the sport last July.
The American superstar has won four of her eight doubles matches since returning to competitive play last July, including a run to the US Open quarter-finals.
If Williams and Alexandrova win their first-round match, they will face Jessica Pegula and McCartney Kessler or Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani in the second round.
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