Venus Williams defeated Italy’s Camila Giorgi 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (6) in a first-round match that lasted more than three hours in the Rothesay Classic in Great Britain on Monday.
Williams, 43, recorded her first win over a top-50 opponent in four years after getting bounced in the first round last week at the Netherlands. Williams is currently ranked No. 697 in the world.
Third-seeded Magda Linette of Poland had to rally to defeat Italian Jasmine Paolini in three sets. Fifth-seeded Anhelina Kalinina and No. 6 Bernarda Pera advanced in straight sets.
Linda Fruhirtova needed just 52 minutes to advance and Caty McNally won in straight sets.
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Caroline Garcia rolled while No. 7 Petra Kvitova was upended in the first round at Berlin, Germany.
Garcia defeated Sabine Lisicki of Germany 7-6 (2), 6-3 to advance on the grass of the WTA 500 event. Meanwhile, Kvitova was upset by countrywoman Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-4 in the all-Czech meeting.
Donna Vekic also advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Russian Varvara Gracheva.
–Field Level Media
