Venus wins, drops doubles

MELBOURNE, Australia — It was inevitable after such an energetic performance in her second-round win over Stefanie Voegele at the Australian Open that Venus Williams would get asked about transcending the generations in tennis.

The 36-year-old, seventime major winner played the first of her record 73 Grand Slam tournaments at the French Open in 1997. Then, she got to play against the likes of Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova.

In a 6-3, 6-2 win over the 26-year-old Voegele on Wednesday, Williams mixed up her game, clearly not content to rely purely on the kind of power game that helped her make a mark on the sport.

“I have to talk about this every interview,” Williams said in reply to what has become a regular post-match question to the oldest player in the women’s draw here. “I’ve played some of the greats.

“It’s an honor and privilege to start that young,” she added, laughing, “and play this old.”

On the men’s side, Merrick native Noah Rubin battled but fell 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 to his idol roger Federer.

In other men’s action, fifthranked Kei Nishikori reached the third round with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 win over Jeremy Chardy and No. 12 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga bea

Venus and Serena Williams withdrew from a scheduled first-round doubles match later in the day, citing an injury to Venus’ right elbow. The sisters have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together, including four at the Australian Open.

In the next round, Venus, will play Duan Yingying, who beat Varvara Lepchenko 6-1, 3-6, 10-8. Venus is playing her 17th Australian Open, but has never won the title.

Later Wednesday, defending champion Angelique Kerber moved on to the third round on her 29th birthday with a three-set victory over Carina Witthoeft.

After the 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-2 victory, Kerber smiled and waved her arms like an orchestra conductor as the Rod Laver Arena crowd sang “Happy Birthday.”

Top-ranked Kerber was cool and controlled in the first set, but struggled against some deep, powerful forehands late in the second.

The tension mounted when she dropped her serve to open the third set, but Kerber recovered her composure and took a 4-1 lead, saving two break points in the fifth game.

“I’m always playing on my birthday — always in Australia,” said Kerber, who had her major breakthrough here last year by beating Serena Williams in the final.