Venus Williams stuns Veronika Kudermetova in Cincinnati

      Venus Williams, the 43-year-old tennis legend, showed that age is just a number as she defeated Veronika Kudermetova, the 16th seed and world number 16, in the first round of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati on Monday. It was Williams’ first win over a top-20 player in four years, and it came after a remarkable comeback from two breaks down in both sets.

     Williams, who is ranked 533rd in the world and received a wildcard into the tournament, displayed her trademark fighting spirit and determination as she overcame Kudermetova 6-4 7-5 in an hour and 40 minutes. Williams had trailed 4-1 in both sets, but battled back each time, breaking Kudermetova’s serve five times and saving eight of 11 break points on her own serve.

     Williams, who has won seven Grand Slam singles titles and three Olympic gold medals in her illustrious career, said she was satisfied with her performance and happy to be back on the court after missing most of the season due to injuries.

“Definitely satisfaction from today is (from) all the work that goes into just being here at all,” Williams said after the match. “I did my best to be here as soon as possible in the best form possible I could bring in that amount of time. So that makes it satisfying, to be able to get a win with very little time to prepare.”

    Williams also said she still loves the game and has the motivation to compete at the highest level.

“I love this game, it’s what I do and the last few years have been difficult in terms of injuries,” Williams said. “I want to be able to come out here, be strong and be myself. That’s important to me and I’m trying to get there.”

     Williams’ last win over a top-20 player was also at the Western & Southern Open in 2019, when she beat Kiki Bertens in the second round. Since then, Williams had struggled with form and fitness, losing in the first round of Wimbledon last month after suffering a knee injury.

     Williams is now gearing up for the US Open, which starts on August 28 in New York, where she hopes to add to her two titles at Flushing Meadows. She will face either Victoria Azarenka or Alison Riske in the second round of Cincinnati.

     You can watch the highlights of Williams’ win over Kudermetova here. You can also read more about Williams’ comeback and career here.