Venus Williams delivered a surprise victory, defeating the 16th-ranked Veronika Kudermetova 6-4 7-5 at the Cincinnati Open on Monday. In another match, unseeded American Sloane Stephens overcame a sluggish start to secure a win against Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto, with a score of 7-5 6-2.
Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam winner, showed her veteran prowess by recovering from deficits in both sets and converting six out of nine break points. Despite initially appearing outmatched, she mounted an exceptional comeback, claiming the first set by winning five consecutive games.
Kudermetova, however, managed to shift the momentum in her favor, winning four straight games in the second set. She came close to securing the set in the eighth game, but a double fault and unforced errors allowed Williams to break back.
Williams seized the opportunity and gained momentum, ultimately converting a break point in the 10th game. Kudermetova’s morale suffered, and she handed Williams the match with a pair of double faults in the final game.
In a parallel encounter, Sloane Stephens faced challenges due to rain delaying the match start. Despite this, she broke Cocciaretto five times and saved three of five break points. Stephens secured her victory in 76 minutes and is set to face defending champion Caroline Garcia in the second round.
Stephens reflected on her performance, saying, “I felt like when I came out here I was a little bit slow, and obviously she didn’t get to do her full warm-up… A lot of drama, but happy to be through after a slow start.”
Ukrainian Elina Svitolina was forced to withdraw from her anticipated match against Caroline Wozniacki due to foot pain stemming from her Wimbledon run. Wozniacki, making her competitive return after a three-year hiatus, is now slated to play lucky loser Varvara Gracheva in the night session, weather permitting.
