Venus fights off emotions and Mertens to advance

LONDON: Venus Williams was able to focus on Wimbledon despite her involvement in a recent fatal car crash as the five-time champion beat Elise Mertens 7-6 (7), 6-4 in the first round on Monday. Williams is being sued by the estate of an elderly Florida man who died last month after his vehicle was hit by a car driven by the American star. The world number 11 put the horror crash to one side as she advanced to the second round, where she will face China’s Wang Qiang.

Making her first appearance in the Wimbledon main draw, Mertens, 21, was just one when Venus made her Wimbledon debut in 1997. Mertens, ranked 54th, was playing only her fifth career Grand Slam match, while Williams is a seven-time Grand Slam winner and reached the Wimbledon semi-finals last year. Despite that vast gulf in experience, Mertens wasn’t overwhelmed and put up a good fight in the straight-sets loss. Two-time champion

PETRA PROGRESSES

Petra Kvitova made a victorious return after the knife attack that threatened to end her career. In December she suffered severe injuries to her left playing hand while fighting off a knifewielding burglar at her home in a terrifying assault.

The world No 12 had a relatively tough first round opponent in Sweden’s Johanna Larsson, ranked No 53. But the Czech number two triumphed 6-3, 6-4 in a match on Centre Court.

“I felt the energy from the crowd and it was amazing to be back here at Wimbledon and playing on the beautiful Centre Court,” Kvitova said.

Women’s second seed Simona Halep, blasted off court in the French Open final by Jelena Ostapenko, downed New Zealand qualifier Marina Erakovic 6-4, 6-1.

Halep, a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2014, next faces Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maria.