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Venus out-lasts Petkovic to advance at Indian Wells
INDIAN WELLS, United States, March 8, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Former world
number one Venus Williams emerged from a back-and-forth battle with a 6-4, 0-
6, 6-3 victory over German Andrea Petkovic to reach the second round at
Indian Wells on Thursday.
The US veteran said she wasn’t feeling her best, and was at a loss for
words to explain the win.
“I don’t know honestly. I’m still trying to figure it out,” said Williams,
who closed out the first set after a visit from the trainer, before Petkovic
had the second set all her own way.
Williams was broken as she served for the match at 5-2 in the third,
wasting one match point.
Petkovic had a game point to extend the match before Williams broke her in
the final game seal the victory.
“Every day is not your best day but that doesn’t mean the heart and desire
aren’t there,” Williams said. “I’m just happy things went my way in the third
set. It got really close there.
Williams was playing her first match since a third-round loss to then
world number one Simona Halep at the Australian Open.
“I haven’t played in forever, so that was challenging in itself, to get
back into competition,” said the 38-year-old who next faces third-seeded
Czech Petra Kvitova — this year’s Australian Open runner-up.
Serena Williams, also playing her first tournament since falling in the
Australian Open quarter-finals, opens with a blockbuster second round match
against another former world number one Victoria Azarenka.
Azarenka, now ranked 48th in the world, defeated Vera Lapko in straight
sets on Wednesday to set up the clash that will highlight Friday’s night
session.
Williams, seeded 10th, has won 17 of their 21 prior encounters but
Azarenka won their most recent meeting — in the 2016 Indian Wells final.
Since then both have become mothers, Serena to daughter Alexis Olympia and
Azarenka to son Leo.
“It’s obviously going to be a really difficult match,” Azarenka said.
“It’s not a second-round match for sure. But it’s going to be a huge
challenge. We haven’t played for three years, we haven’t played since we both
became moms, so it’s going to be a special one.”
France’s Kristina Mladenovic booked her second meeting in three weeks with
world number one Naomi Osaka, beating China’s Zheng Saisai 7-5, 6-2 to reach
the second round.
“It’s pretty funny, playing her back-to-back,” said Mladenovic, who
toppled Osaka in Dubai in the Japanese star’s first match since winning the
Australian Open.
“It’s going to be a brand new match,” Mladenovic said. “I’m sure her game
suits well here as the defending champion, and I’m sure she wants to build on
some wins again. I’m going to go out there confident, show a fight, and
execute as well as I did a few weeks ago.”
BSS/AFP/BZC/1730HRS