Sport
London 2012: Venus and Serena Williams advance
Other major champions to advance in singles on a cool, sunny day included three-time Olympian Lleyton Hewitt, top-seeded Victoria Azarenka, Kim Clijsters, Petra Kvitova, Ana Ivanovic and three-time Wimbledon runner-up Andy Roddick.
Venus Williams, also unseeded, drew a tough first-round foe in Errani, who has won four titles this year and is ranked a career-high No. 9. Williams served well, charged the net aggressively and appeared at ease on the Wimbledon grass, where she has won five of her seven Grand Slam titles.
Afterward, Williams challenged the Olympic record for references to herself in the third person.
“Today definitely seemed a lot more like classic Venus,” she said. “I know she’s in here, but she has a couple of things she’s dealing with, so she does the best she can.”
Despite being diagnosed last year with an autoimmune disease that can cause fatigue, Williams began 2012 determined to make the Olympic team. She won the gold in singles at the 2000 Games and teamed with Serena to take the gold in doubles in 2000 and 2008.
Because her opening match was delayed a day by rain, Williams will need to play six consecutive days if she reaches Saturday’s final.
“I definitely expect everything to be tough on me almost nowadays,” she said.
