On Monday, June 19, tennis great Venus Williams overcame 48th-ranked Camile Giorgi to earn her first victory over a top 50 player in nearly four years.
The 43-year-old, who is now ranked No. 697, won 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (6) on her preferred grass court at England’s Birmingham Classic.
After more than three hours on court, the seven-time Grand Slam champion moved to the next round.
‘I hadn’t played her in ages…I believe she enjoys this surface… ‘She’s scary out here,’ remarked Williams during the on-court interview.
The reporter replied, ‘So are you.’
The five-time Wimbledon champion then expressed her amazement at once again hammering down 120mph serves.
Venus Williams wins her first match in over four years.
‘Oh, thank you!’ she responded. And I struck some servers at 120 mph today, which made me go, “Oh my gosh. There you have it. I’ve been missing you!”
Williams was sidelined for six months after suffering a hamstring injury in Auckland in the first week of the year.
Last week, she lost in the first round of the Libema Open in the Netherlands against 17-year-old Celine Naef.
It was a ‘touch and go’ match for the American sensation against Giorgi.
‘There were so many times when I thought, “This match is over,” and then she’d hit a shot out of nowhere,’ Williams explained.
‘She pushed me to be better than I thought I could be, which is fantastic for me.
‘I haven’t played many matches, so it’s fantastic to come through.’
