Defying age and illness, Venus marches on
new york — Defying an energysapping disease, Venus Williams pushed herself farther than she ever imagined at age 37 to reach her 39th Grand Slam quarterfinal.
US ninth seed Williams, seeking her eighth Grand Slam title and third US Open crown, defeated Spain’s 35th-ranked Carla Suarez Navarro 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 Sunday.
She booked a Tuesday fight for a semifinal spot against Czech 13th seed Petra Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon winner who defeated Spanish third seed and reigning Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.
Williams, this year’s Wimbledon and Australian Open runner-up and the oldest woman in this year’s US Open draw, is only 1-4 against Kvitova, but she has grown accustomed to overcoming the odds.
In 2011, Williams was diagnosed with Sjogren’s disease, which leaves her weakened and pushed her into a vegan diet to stay competitive and combat the illness.
“Over time I’ve learned that I can push myself a lot further than I thought I could,” Williams said. “I do have to push myself a lot. I think that’s the biggest thing that I’ve learned.
“In the beginning, when everything is easy, you’re healthy, it’s easy to play when you don’t have those odds against you. But when you have the odds against you, it’s hard to find that in yourself every day.”—