Tennis: Venus crushes Wozniak to stay on track

Former number one eager to repeat Sydney success.

LONDON: Venus Williams underlined her desire for a fourth Olympic gold medal as she raced into the third round with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Canada’s Aleksandra Wozniak.

The 32-year-old, who has also won two doubles golds with sister Serena, was far too powerful for Wozniak and took just 63 minutes to set up a last 16 clash with German seventh seed Angelique Kerber, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals earlier this month.

When Venus, a five-time Wimbledon champion, crashed out against Elena Vesnina in the first round of the grass-court Grand Slam last month, the result was seen as further evidence of the American’s struggles with Sjogren’s syndrome, an auto-immune disease which leaves her fatigued and with painful joints. But she has looked back to her ferocious best over the last two days in London.

She crushed French Open finalist Sara Errani in the first round and Wozniak, the world number 54 who is actually ranked 15 places about Venus, was clearly out of her depth on Centre Court.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 1^st, 2012.