Venus Williams A Near Miss In First Round, US Open Reaches Day 3

Sports Betting News - September 2nd, 2009 - Written by Glen

With a bandaged knee, Venus Williams, the current 3rd seed, barely managed a victory over Vera Dushevina in the first round of the 2009 U.S. Open. The match that lasted nearly three hours saw fluctuating scores, but in the end Williams managed to take the win, reminding us why she is the third seed.

In the first two rounds, two double faults and four more errors brought Williams' matches to a shrieking halt. After being down a set, Williams managed to come back and win with 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-3. Venus totaled fifty-four unforced errors, but still overthrew her competition, regardless of Dushevina's fierce play.

Williams offered no information about her injury during a press conference. She merely said that she "...had a challenge on [Williams'] hands today, but I wanted to win." Venus does not typically discuss her injuries, and this holds true in this tournament.

Serena on the other hand obliterated her competition. A near shut out brought Alexa Gatch to her proverbial knees. Between both sets, Gatch did not manage even five wins. The aggressive Serena kept rocketing balls past her fellow American, providing Gatch with a series of balls which she could not chase.

But after all, the Williams sisters do not lose in the first round - regardless of how close they may come.

For the Men, Federer gave the 18 year old, first time Grand Slam participant Devin Britton a run for his money. Britton, while new to the circuit, could have had better luck when the match ups were determined. In eighty-eight minutes, Federer sealed the deal and continued on his soon to be record breaking course. Federer won 6-1, 6-3, 7-5.

The American Andy Roddick also surpassed the first round, beating Germany's Bjorn Phau with a series of 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. The game began late in the evening, but within ten minutes Roddick was sporting a 3-0 lead. Their game persisted well after 1 in the morning, but Roddick sent Phau packing before too much more time elapsed. Roddick will go on to play Marc Gicquel - a player who Roddick has never lost against.

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