Watch: Venus Williams turns back clock with stunning backhand winner against Katy Volynets
Venus Williams turned back the clock with a glorious backhand winner against Katy Volynets in the ASB Classic opening round on Monday (January 2).
Williams is playing her 30th year on tour since turning professional in 1994. The elder sister of recently retired former World No. 1 Serena Williams has seemingly been on the decline recently. She has put up quite a few underwhelming performances, especially at the big tournaments.
However, on Monday in Auckland, the 42-year-old provided a timely reminder of her prowess. With Volynets serving for the set at 5-4, 0-40, Williams unleashed a fierce crosscourt backhand winner following a bruising baseline exchange to get back on serve.
Here's the video of Williams' winner:
Venus Williams with a stunning BH winner to break back to love #asbclassic https://t.co/9sjcYcibsT
She eventually took the set on a tiebreak to draw first blood. In a lopsided second, Williams dropped only two games to open her 2023 campaign with a win. The seven-time Grand Slam winner will next take on Zhu Lin for a place in the last eight.
Venus Williams wins first singles match since Wimbledon 2021
Venus Williams has been plagued by injuries and poor form for quite a few seasons.
Williams, currently ranked outside the world's top 1000, went 0-4 last year after ending her 2021 season at the Chicago Open in August, where she suffered a leg injury. She returned to action at the 2022 Citi Open but lost in three sets to qualifier Rebecca Marino.
Williams didn't win a set in her next three opening-round defeats at the Coupe Rogers, Cincinnati and the US Open. Her win over Volynets on Monday was her first since June 2021, when she beat Mihaela Buzarnescu in the first round at Wimbledon.
Williams has notably battled Sjorgens syndrome - an auto-immune disorder - since the 2000s. She hasn't been past the second week at a Grand Slam since making the 2017 US Open semifinals.
That year, she also made the final at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and the fourth round at Roland Garros. Since then, Williams has endured first-round defeats in eight of her last 14 Grand Slam appearances, making the third round thrice.
However, she will hope to change that at the Australian Open next forntight, for which she has received a wildcard.
Venus Williams has been awarded a wild-card entry to play at the Australian Open next month, 25 years after she played the Grand Slam tournament for the first time.
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Having made her tournament debut in 1998, the American is set to return to Melbourne Park for a 22nd time. Venus Williams is a two-time Australian Open finalist (2003, 2017) and holds a 54-21 record at the tournament.