Despite her forty-year-old legs and Sjögren’s syndrome which has weakened her body for at least ten years, Venus Williams remains a tennis player who is difficult to extricate herself from.
Kenin’s turn
The Belarusian needed an hour and nine minutes to take possession of the first set, not without saving a set point, at 6-5 in the tie-break. At the change of sides, the pout of Venus Williams spoke volumes about her weariness.
Too limited in her movements, especially forward, the American, despite a still amazing ball quality and the logical approximations (given the “jet-lagged” context) of Azarenka, was no longer a real threat in the second. set (7-6, 6-2 in 2h1 ‘).
In six days (semi-final in New York against Serena then this first round in Rome), Victoria Azarenka beat the two Williams sisters. On Thursday, she will be pitted against much younger in the person of Sofia Kenin, 21, world No. 5, who was none other than her doubles partner at the last US Open.
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