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Belinda Bencic celebrates her first-round victory over Venus Williams.(Photo: Vincent Thian, AP)
MELBOURNE — Venus Williams had never lost a set in four previous matches against Belinda Bencic, but on Monday she was upset 6-3, 7-5 on the opening day of the Australian Open by the Swiss.
The fifth-seeded Williams has now lost both matches she’s played to start the year. After receiving a first-round bye last week at Sydney, she fell to eventual champion Angelique Kerber of Germany in three sets.
A seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, Williams was competing in her 77th major overall, the most appearances by a woman in the Open Era. This was her 18th Australian Open and her fourth time losing in the first-round in Melbourne (2006, 2014, 2016, 2018).
At 37 years, 212 days, Williams was the oldest woman in the women’s field, and one of 17 Americans in the main draw. U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens was also upset on Monday, taking a 2-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 defeat to Zhang Shuai of China.
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In 2017, Williams was the only WTA player to reach two Grand Slam finals. She lost to sister Serena here in Melbourne and to Spaniard Garbine Muguruza at Wimbledon, and fell in the WTA year-end event to Caroline Wozniacki. She ended last season without a title.
The 78th-ranked Bencic missed out on five months of play after undergoing left wrist surgery last spring, but in her comeback won 28 of her final 31 matches in 2017, which amounted to four titles (two on the lesser ITF circuit and two WTA 125K Series events).
Williams never appeared comfortable on-court during the 1-hour, 53-minute match, posting 26 unforced to only 12 from the 20-year-old Bencic, the only Swiss woman in this year’s competition.
Williams was up a service break twice in the second set, but she immediately surrendered the advantage to the in-form Bencic. In the final game, Williams went from 30-0 to 30-40 and was ousted on the first match point she faced with a forehand she couldn’t reach.
Follow Sandra Harwitt on Twitter @TennisGrapevine.
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from Sports - Google News https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/tennis/2018/01/14/venus-williams-upset-australian-open-first-round-belinda-bencic/1033162001/
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