Serena Williams wins Rio opener; 1st match since Wimbledon

Venus Williams of US in action against Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium in the women’s first round on Day 1 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Tennis Centre on August 6, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In the deciding set, Flipkens surrendered the first break in the fourth game as Williams built up a 4-2 lead.

Play opens Saturday, though numerous big names won’t start their tournaments in Rio de Janeiro until Sunday.

In a cover story in Self magazine ahead of the Olympics, Williams revealed her delight and anxiousness at being asked to dance on the video for Beyonce’s hit “Sorry”.

Serena Williams wakes up every morning feel great about herself. “I don’t think I gave her too many chances”.

The 34-year-old is still the best player around in the women’s game and picked up her 22nd Grand Slam title after winning a seventh Wimbledon title earlier this summer. She’s now won 19 of her past 20 matches.

The second set was one-way traffic, Gavrilova frantically flying across the baseline as Williams boomed shots around the court – the Australian tumbling on several occasions as her efforts became more frantic. Serena said this was her first visit to Rio, but was quick to add that she was here on business and fun could wait.

Still, Venus isn’t totally finished with the tournament – not yet. Williams fired down an ace and then chased down a Gavrilova drop shot to hit a victor to go up 5-2.

But Williams broke back in the next game and righted the ship in the second set.

Williams earned the 6-4, 6-2 win in just over an hour and a half.

Players have noticed that the green courts in Rio play slower and offer higher bounces than hard courts used on the North American circuit leading to the U.S. Open later this month. “But we got through it”, Williams said to NBC just after her win. “Just that whole attitude of being strong and powerful-that’s something I can get behind”.

After that defeat, Venus did not meet with reporters, but USA women’s Olympic tennis coach Mary Joe Fernandez said that the seven-time major singles champion had been sick since before she arrived in Brazil.

She has won a total of seven Olympic medals for Jamaica including three gold, two silver and two bronze.

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