| | Associated Press
Results
ROME -- Venus Williams pounded out a straight-set victory
Wednesday over Chanda Rubin in the Italian Open and put aside
retirement talk.
|  | | Venus Williams hits a backhand return Wednesday during her match with fellow American Chanda Rubin at the Italian Open. |
For the moment.
Playing only her third match since returning to the tour from a
six-month layoff, Williams looked sharp and overpowered Rubin 6-1,
6-2 in just over an hour to move into the third round of the clay
court tournament.
Williams, seeded third, had her power-game going, served well
and seemed comfortable on the clay as she began defense of her
Italian title.
"I'm back, I'm playing all right," the 19-year-old said. "I was having fun out there."
Richard Williams, father of Venus and younger sister Serena,
caused a stir in the tennis world earlier this year when he
suggested that Venus might retire to devote her time to her
studies, her investments. He even hinted she might go into
politics.
Asked about her future, Venus said, "I still have fun playing
tennis. This is what I want to do at this point."
But she added: "If I decide this is not good for me, I'll
definitely retire."
In other matches Wednesday, Corina Morariu of the United States
upset eight-seeded Sandrine Testud of France 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, and
Denisa Chladkova beat No. 13 seed Al Sugiyama of Japan.
In a rare victory for an Italian, local favorite Giulia Casoni knocked
off No. 15 seed Dominique Van Roost of Belgium 7-6 (6), 6-0. Casoni next plays the top-seeded Lindsay Davenport, who had the
day off.
Another Italian, Tathiana Garbin, threw a scare into the No. 2
seed Nathalie Tauziat before the Frenchwoman rallied to win 5-7,
6-2, 6-4.
And Italy's Rita Grande ousted Kristina Brandi of the United
States 6-4, 7-5 in a match pitting unseeded players.
No. 4 Mary Pierce beat Marlene Weingartner, 7-5, 6-3.
Venus Williams, out with tendinitis in both wrists, returned to
the tour in Hamburg last week. She looked rusty and lost her second
match.
"You know, I'm really starting to play better now," she said
after her fifth consecutive victory over Rubin, who lacks the
strength to keep pace with Williams. "Starting last week in Hamburg I was a little iffy."
"It was just a matter of time," Williams said. "I knew what I wanted to do in Germany -- now I'm executing."
Williams insisted she missed tennis during her long layoff and
that she certainly preferred it to her studies for a degree in
fashion design.
"I like playing tennis more. Studying is a real job," she said
with a laugh.
Venus also confirmed that sister Serena, who has also been out
with injury, will be entering the French Open later this month. The
French is the only Grand Slam played on clay. | |
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