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News > Sport

Americans Fall on Australian Open First Day

  • Venus Williams reacts after losing in the first round of the 2018 Australian Open.

    Venus Williams reacts after losing in the first round of the 2018 Australian Open. | Photo: Reuters

Published 15 January 2018
Opinion

Seven-time grand slam winner Venus Williams, U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens, Coco Vandeweghe and John Isner all bow out in the first round of the 2018 Australian Open.

The Australian Open 2017 runner-up and 5th-seed, Venus Williams, was dispatched by Swiss Belinda Bencic in the first round of the 2018 staging of the tournament.

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Unseeded Bencic ousted the 7-time grand slam champion in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5, on the tournament's opening day at Melbourne. Bencic sealed victory over the veteran after one hour and 55 minutes.

"I changed the perspective a little bit and I came back now appreciating more being on the tour and just playing matches," Bencic explained.

The 78th-ranked 20-year-old, who was plagued by an injury that caused her to fall to 318th in the world, said it was an "amazing feeling" handing Williams her fourth career first-round loss down under. The 37-year-old has now recorded the most major appearances by a woman in the Open Era. Williams, the oldest entrant in the draw, is the only woman on the circuit to have made two grand slam finals in a year at the age of 37 years and 212 days.

"I think she played well," Williams said, who was making her 77th slam appearance. "I don't think I played a bad match. She just played above and beyond. I just have to give her credit for that."

Prior to her freefall in the rankings, Bencic had climbed to number 10 in the world. The win means Bencic has now won 16 tour matches in a row – 28 of her last 31.

"It means so much to me," she told BBC Radio 5 live. "I lost to Venus four times and I tried my best to give my all today, and changed some things tactically.

"I think it was a huge opportunity and I used it, so I was very relieved after the match point. After the injury and the tough times it's really an amazing feeling."

BBC reported that the up-and-coming star played under the watchful eyes of the parents of fellow Swiss, Roger Federer – with whom she claimed the Hopman Cup.

This makes the third time in the past two decades that neither of the Williams sisters will be in the second round of a Grand Slam; defending champion and first-time mom Serena Williams pulled out prior to the start of the event.

Two American hopefuls also failed to make it through to the second round. The 13th-seed and defending U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens joined the 'bad luck club' falling 2-6, 7-6 (2) 6-2 to China's Zhang Shuai.

Her compatriot, 10th-seed Coco Vandeweghe was downed 6-7 (4), 2-6 by Hungarian Timea Babos.

“I did the best I could with what I had today and that’s all I can ask for,” said Vandeweghe, who is nursing the flu. “I’ve seen the doctor, she’s given me some medication that I have no idea what it is, but it’s not working all that well. So here I am, I tried my best.”

On the men's side, American 6th-seed John Isner – one of three seeded American men – was sent packing by 76th-ranked Australian Matthew Ebden, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

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