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Radwanska, Venus ousted
RIO DE JANEIRO: Four-time gold medallist Venus Williams, suffering with a virus, slumped to her first ever opening round loss at an Olympic Games on Saturday, joining
RIO DE JANEIRO: Four-time gold medallist Venus Williams, suffering with a virus, slumped to her first ever opening round loss at an Olympic Games on Saturday, joining jet-lagged Agnieszka Radwanska at the exit door.
American fifth seed Williams, the singles champion in 2000 and, at 36, the oldest woman in the draw, lost to Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) in a three-hour centre court marathon.
Another veteran, 35-year-old Martina Hingis, playing in her first Olympics in 20 years, made it through to the second round of the women’s doubles. She and Bacsinszky defeated Australia’s Samantha Stosur and Daria Gavrilova 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
Fourth seeded Radwanska was also a high-profile casualty, slumping to a 6-4, 7-5 loss against China’s world No 63 Zheng Saisai.
SERENA CRUISES INTO SECOND ROUND
World number one Serena Williams progressed through the first round of tennis on Sunday despite an error-strewn performance that was not helped by windy conditions that delayed play on most of the smaller tennis courts.
Williams won 6-4 6-2 against Australia’s Daria Gavrilova, but she was far from her best. She grew increasingly frustrated as the match wore on.
DOPING-HIT RUSSIA OFF THE MARK WITH GOLD
Beslan Mudranov won scandal-depleted Russia’s first gold medal of the Rio Olympics in the judo on Saturday after their team was slashed over a massive doping conspiracy. Mudranov won the men’s 60kg final with a golden score victory over Kazakhstan’s Yeldos Smetov, putting Russia’s reduced team on the medals table on day one.