Venus Williams Faces Early Exit at US Open After Loss to Sofia Kenin
Venus Williams Eliminated in First Round
File image of Venus Williams(Photo: @AvantageTennis_/X)
New York, Aug 31: Veteran American tennis star Venus Williams encountered another setback as she was eliminated by fellow American Sofia Kenin in the first round of the women's singles at the US Open. This defeat marks yet another early exit for Williams from a Grand Slam event on Monday (IST).
Kenin, who received a wild card entry into the main draw, clinched the match by winning the last six points, successfully saving seven set points in the second set. The final score was 6-2, 7-6(6), allowing Kenin to advance to the second round where she will face Jessica Pegula.
Following an earlier upset of Novak Djokovic at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the opening night showcased another iconic former US Open champion, as Williams made her 26th appearance at Flushing Meadows. Kenin demonstrated her Grand Slam experience in a thrilling all-American clash that lasted one hour and 48 minutes.
On the previous day, players like Elina Svitolina, Marta Kostyuk, Jasmine Paolini, and Jessica Pegula secured victories in their opening matches. The only surprise came from Kamilla Rakhimova, who upset No. 27 seed Barbora Krejickova, disrupting an otherwise predictable Day 1 for the women's singles.
Seven seeded players competed on Sunday, concluding the day with a 6-1 record; all but Paolini achieved straightforward straight-sets victories.
Svitolina kicked off the tournament's first night session on Louis Armstrong Stadium with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 win over Solana Sierra in just 52 minutes. The ninth seed now boasts a 9-2 record in her last 11 Grand Slam openers, and her 117 Major wins are the highest for a Ukrainian player in the Open Era, making her the only Ukrainian with over 100 Grand Slam victories during this time.
Kostyuk, who has reached the semifinals in her last two Grand Slam appearances, began her quest for a third with a 6-4, 6-1 victory against Storm Hunter in 67 minutes on Grandstand. The No. 11 seed won the last five games and seven of the final eight, improving her season record to 33-8, finishing with eight aces and 22 winners against 12 unforced errors.
Paolini's match was more challenging. The No. 19 seed took 1 hour and 46 minutes to overcome Veronika Erjavec, winning 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 on Louis Armstrong Stadium. Despite a second-set dip that nearly led to an upset, Paolini's performance included 36 winners and 27 unforced errors.
After failing to reach the fourth round in her last four Majors, Paolini made it to the Wimbledon quarter-finals this summer, a stage she has yet to achieve at the US Open.
No. 18 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova and No. 31 seed Leylah Fernandez also contributed to the seeds' positive outcomes. Alexandrova defeated McCartney Kessler 6-2, 6-2 in 66 minutes, while Fernandez triumphed over Zhang Shuai 6-3, 6-2 in 75 minutes.
On Court 12, former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova, though unseeded, made a remarkable comeback. After trailing Belgium's Hanne Vandewinkel 6-2, 5-2, she won nine consecutive games, saving a match point in the process, to secure a 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory in 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Pliskova has now reached the second round in her last 10 US Open appearances, a streak that includes one final and five quarter-finals.
Other results included:
Polina Iatcenko defeated Renata Zarazua 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(7); Donna Vekic overcame Talia Gibson 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; Lanlana Tararudee beat Elvina Kalieva 6-3, 67 (4); Lucrezia Stefanini won against Dayana Yastremska 6-3, 4-6, 6-1; Wang Xinyu triumphed over Emiliana Arango 6-4, 6-2; Katie Boulter defeated Carol Young Suh Lee 6-4, 3-6, 6-0; Taylah Preston won against Alycia Parks 6-3, 6-3.