Williams is surprised by loss as Bencic credits Federer help
Venus Williams and US Open champion Sloane Stephens led a string of seeds sent tumbling out of the Australian Open on the opening day of the tournament yesterday.
Williams, who lost in the final to sister Serena last year, was stunned by Swiss star Belinda Bencic, fresh from winning the Hopman Cup with Roger Federer.
The seven-time grand slam winner, in her 77th major, struggled against a player who had never before beaten her to go down 6-3, 7-5 and deprive the tournament of one of its biggest names.
It is the first time since 1997 that there will be neither of the Williams sisters in the second round, with Serena not playing after giving birth to her first child.
“I don’t think I played a bad match. She just played above and beyond,” said 37-year-old Williams, seeded fifth.
Bencic, 20, said featuring with Federer at the Hopman Cup had helped a lot, with the Swiss great giving her advice.
“I think all the week it was so great learning from him on the court or off the court,” she said, adding she spoke to him briefly after her match and he “was very happy for me”.
With Stephens also sent packing, it was a bad day for the United States, in stark contrast to the last grand slam of 2017, when they all made the semis at the US Open, leaving the women’s draw in Melbourne more unpredicable than ever.
The 2014 runner-up in Melbourne and 24th seed Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia also departed, 6-2, 6-2 to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia.
Second seed Caroline Wozniacki had no dramas though as she defeated Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu 6-2, 6-3.
“I’m happy to be through. It was not an easy match. Maybe on paper it looks easy, but it wasn’t.”
Meanwhile, in the men’s draw, world No 1 Rafael Nadal says he has no doubts over a knee injury as he destroyed his opening round opponent.
The Spaniard, a beaten finalist to Federer in Melbourne last year, clinically took apart Victor Estrella Burgos of the Dominican Republic 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 in 94 minutes in the night match on Rod Laver Arena.
He will play Leonardo Mayer of Argentina in the second round.
“It’s feeling good,” Nadal said. “If I did not feel myself ready I would not be here.
“I am happy to be here and happy to be on court again.
“I always have doubts, but at the same time I have confidence that I was ready to start the tournament and that was the case.”
No 11 seed Kevin Anderson, who won the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi last month, was the biggest name to exit the men’s draw yesterday as he lost in five sets to Britain’s Kyle Edmund 6-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Home hope Nick Kyrgios launched his Australian Open campaign with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 demolition of Brazilian Rogerio Dutra Silva.
Kyrgios was joined in the second round by fellow Australians John Millman, who beat Borna Coric in straight sets, and Matthew Ebden who shocked 16th-seeded American John Isner.