Venus turns back clock to edge Ostapenko in marathon

SINGAPORE: Venus Williams produced a vintage display full of guts and determination to grind out a 7-5, 6-7 (3-6), 7-5 victory over Jelena Ostapenko in their White Group encounter at the WTA Finals.

Both players had lost their opening ties on Sunday so were desperate for a victory to keep their future fate in the eight-woman event in their own hands and neither appeared willing to budge in a titanic three hour and 13-minute marathon.

In the end, the 37-year-old Williams emerged from a bruising encounter that featured 20 breaks of serve with a victory built on her calmness at the key moments and ruthlessness when offered a chance to attack her opponent’s weak second serve.

“Sometimes you need some luck. I don’t know if I had any tonight as I had to work for every point,” Williams said in a courtside interview.

“It’s not easy when you lose the first match. Both of us were in the same situation and you have to fight, what else can you do, to live another day.”

The round robin match was strewn with no fewer than 20 breaks of serve, with Williams capturing 11 of them – enough to edge her to a victory that ensures she stays in the season finale.

It was relief for the American, who let slip a match point in the second set but summoned up all her experience to stay cool when she got another opportunity in the third.

During the 69-minute third set, which included six consecutive breaks, Williams clinched the decisive break in the 11th game and then clinically held serve to outlast the Latvian.

It maintained Williams’ perfect record over Ostapenko, having won their only encounter earlier this year at Wimbledon.

The 20-year-old delivered 12 of the first 13 winners before her confidence nosedived as she struggled with her serve. — Agencies