SPOTLIGHT

Venus out: Venus Williams entered the U. S. Open with limited play because of a nagging back injury. She exited Wednesday after a strong performance by China’s Zheng Jie, who knocked off the two- time champion 6- 3, 2- 6, 7- 6 ( 7- 5). The match was the longest on the women’s side, 3 hours, 2 minutes. The third set lasted 11⁄ hours, and Williams missed a

2 volley, then a return, on the last two points. Rain interrupted the match just after it started and again at 5- 5 in the third set. Williams rallied from a set down to even the match, from 4- 1 down in the third set and from 4- 1 down in the tiebreaker. As is often the case, the question of retirement was raised again. Williams, 33, had an answer. “If I didn’t think I had anything in the tank, I wouldn’t be here,” she said. “So I feel like I do, and that’s why I’m here.” She remains in the doubles draw with sister Serena.

Blake’s last hurrah: James Blake’s singles career ended Wednesday night in a five- set loss to Ivo Karlovic. Blake couldn’t hold off the big- serving Croatian after taking a two- set lead, 6- 7 ( 2- 7), 3- 6, 6- 4, 7- 6 ( 7- 2), 7- 6 ( 7- 2). Blake announced Monday that this would be his final tournament. Blake, who attended Harvard before turning pro in 1999, was a consistent top- 10 player from 2006 to 2008, reaching a high of No. 4 in 2006, and he won 10 singles titles and seven in doubles on the ATP World Tour. He reached three Grand Slam quarterfinals, including two in New York, losing at that stage to Andre Agassi in 2005 and to Roger Federer in 2006. He mentioned that five- set defeat to Agassi as a match that stands out as a highlight and lowlight of his time on tour. Blake was the second- best American during his peak years, behind only Andy Roddick, and he teamed with Roddick and the Bryan brothers to capture Davis Cup for the USA in 2007. When asked this week about Blake, the overwhelming sentiment from nearly every player was “class act.” Blake is in the doubles draw; he and Jack Sock face Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares today.

Thursday schedule

Key matches: Serena Williams ( 1) vs. Galina Voskoboeva; Roger Federer ( 7) vs. Carlos Berlocq; Caroline Wozniacki ( 6) vs. Chanelle Scheepers; Rafael Nadal ( 2) vs. Rogerio Dutra Silva; John Isner ( 13) vs. Gael Monfils.