Tuesday, 22 June 2010

Wimbledon 2010: Venus Williams wins opening match

Five-time winner Venus Williams safely booked her place in the second round at Wimbledon with a straight-sets win over Paraguay's Rossana De Los Rios.

Belgian duo Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin both marked their SW19 returns with opening-round successes.

Clijsters, in her first appearance since 2006, beat Italy's Maria Elena Camerin while Henin was too good for Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova.

But French Open champion Francesca Schiavone was knocked out.

The fifth seed, who reached the quarter-finals last year failed to close out her match against Russia's Vera Dushevina in the second set and lost 6-7 (0-7) 7-5 6-1.

The Italian has not enjoyed the best of records at Wimbledon, but reached the quarter-finals last year, but after also losing in the first round at Eastbourne, she refused to accept she might have rested on her laurels after her Roland Garros win.

"It was a tough match on a different surface with a different feeling. But she played very well and I didn't take my chance in the second set," she said.

"I work hard every day like I always did in my life. Of course, you can enjoy [winning in Paris]. But at the end you have to come back to work."

There were few problems for second seed Venus Williams, Clijsters, seeded eighth and Henin, the 17th seed, who last played at Wimbledon in 2007.

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