Venus loses to Swiss teen on return to competition
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[June 14, 2023]
(Reuters) - 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 in the decider on Tuesday.
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Tennis - U.S. Open - Flushing Meadows, New
York, United States - August 30, 2022 Venus Williams of the U.S. reacts
during her first round match against Belgium's Alison Van Uytvanck
REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo |
The former world number one, a five-times
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 at the grasscourt Grand
Slam in 2008. This year's Wimbledon tournament begins on July 3.
(Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Hyderabad; editing by Robert
Birsel)
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