Venus Beats Travel-Weary Russian In U.S. Open 1st Round
NEW YORK (AP) -- Playing her first match in two months, Venus Williams powered her way to a 6-4, 6-3 victory over a travel-weary Vera Dolonts of Russia at the U.S. Open on Monday night.
Williams hit six aces and 28 winners against the 91st-ranked Dolonts, who caught a 4 a.m. EDT flight from Moscow and didn't arrive at the tournament site until about four hours before her match.
She had flights canceled Saturday and Sunday because of Tropical Storm Irene, which caused New York airports to be closed.
Williams, whose seven Grand Slam titles include the 2000 and 2001 U.S. Opens, hadn't played on tour since a fourth-round loss at Wimbledon on June 27.
She sat out hard-court tuneup tournaments in recent weeks because of a virus.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
