Venus Williams, Murrary advance to second round at Wimbledon
Canada’s Bouchard makes an early exit
Venus Williams won her first tennis match since being sued by the estate of a Florida man who died after a car crash police say she caused.
The 10th-seeded Williams beat Elise Mertens 7-6 (7), 6-4 Monday in the first round at Wimbledon, a tournament the American has won five times.
Last week, Williams was sued by the estate of a Florida man who died 13 days after a car crash. The lawsuit came one day after Palm Beach Gardens police released a report saying Williams caused the June 9 crash.
“There are really no words to describe, like, how devastating and ... yeah. I’m completely speechless,” Williams said before tearing up.
On No. 1 Court, Williams had to wait through a 33-minute rain delay to win her opening match. She had two match points before the rain came. Play was stopped with Williams leading 5-3, 40-40 in the second set.
When play resumed, Mertens held serve to make it
5-4, but Williams served out the match.
Montreal’s Francoise Abanda defeated Japan’s Kurumi Nara
6-2, 6-4 and Eugenie Bouchard of Westmount, Que., dropped a 1-6, 6-1, 6-1 decision to Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro. Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz defeated wild-card entry Denis
Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (2).
Defending champion Andy Murray also won his opening match, beating Alexander Bublik 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. Wild-card entry Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., dropped a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (2) decision to Jerzy Janowicz of Poland.