Venus moves up

Venus Williams opened play in the Rogers Cup on Wednesday in Montreal with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Barbora Strycova. Playing her last event before the Rio Olympics, Williams, 36, finished off the overmatched Czech player in 58 minutes. Williams was coming from a loss to Britain’s Johanna Konta on Sunday in the final of the Bank of the West Classic in California. The seven-time Grand Slam champion, seeded sixth, gave up 10 points in the 24-minute second set. Williams will face Madison Keys in the third round. Keys beat fellow American Madison Brengle 6-4, 6-3. Konta also advanced, topping Vania King of the United States 7-5, 6-1. Fourthseed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland beat Monica Niculescu of Romania 6-1, 7-5; seventh-seeded Roberta Vinci topped fellow Italian Camila Giorgi 2-6, 6-3, 6-4; and Slovakia’s Kristina Kucova beat eighth-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.