Venus Williams’ debut at the ATX Open in Austin, Texas, ended on Tuesday at the first hurdle as Ajla Tomljanovic defeated the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion 6-4, 6-1 in one hour and 35 minutes to set up a second-round clash with Iva Jovic.
Williams, who has not won on Tour since last July, dropped the decision for the seventh time in a row, but that came after a fast start. She broke serve first and the Australian team chased the score to 4-2. Williams’ serve also reached a score of 4-5, 40-15, and then Tomjanovich fought back in 51 minutes to win the first set.
Although the 45-year-old Williams remained competitive, the second set wasn’t close. She had break points in two of Tomljanovic’s service games but still lost the final five games of the match.
“Somehow Venus and Serena tend to bring out the best in me mentally,” Tomjanovic said in an on-court interview. “Because I always think, ‘What are they going to do in that moment?’ I try to make it work for me, not against me.”
Williams will partner with Peyton Stearns in a doubles match against top-seeded Tyler Townsend and Storm Hunt in Austin on Wednesday.
At the other end of the age spectrum, Williams, a 27-year-old American youngster, continues to play excellent tennis. 18-year-old Eva Jovic defeated Anna Blinkova 6-3, 6-4 in 1 hour and 24 minutes. The Torrance, Calif., native is currently ranked No. 18 and has an overall record of 15-4 this season.
