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Australian Open Ambience 2021
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Venus steamrolls Jankovic in season opener


Venus Williams got her 2009 season off to a flying start, crushing Jelena Jankovic in straight sets and inspiring the Americas to victory over Team Europe at Hong Kongā€™s JB Classic World Team Challenge.

The Wimbledon champion pulled her team level after the Americas lost their opening doubles match before Gisela Dulko beat Agnes Szavay 6-4 6-7(8) 6-3 to take her team through to the gold final where they face Russia, who won all three of their matches against Asia-Pacific.

ā€œIā€™ve always been a good player off the jumpā€ ā€“ Venus Williams

Venus Williams was in control from the off in her match with Jankovic and never let up, racing to a 4-0 lead with a series of unanswerable ground strokes on her way to a 6-2 6-2 win.

Venus Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, broke again in the third game of the second set and went on to seal the match with another break.

ā€œI had a good start. I think it put some pressure on her. I also wasnā€™t giving her the errors I usually give to her, lots of errors,ā€ said Williams, who also beat Jankovic in their last meeting at the season-ending WTA Tour Championships.

Williams, who won her last two tournaments of 2008, was not surprised to be off to such a strong start despite facing a stern test in her first match. ā€œIā€™ve always been a good player off the jump. Thatā€™s always been the way Iā€™ve played throughout my career,ā€ she said.

In contrast, Jankovic admitted she had found the first match of her season tough. ā€œIt was very hard to get into the match. I felt very slow on the court and didnā€™t really get my rhythm out there,ā€ she said.

ā€œBut itā€™s the first match of the season so I canā€™t expect myself to play the best tennis, which is normal.ā€

Jankovic and Michelle Larcher de Brito had beaten Williams and Coco Vandeweghe in the opening clash to give Europe a 1-0 lead. But in the decisive Europe-Americas clash, Dulko took the first set 6-4 and, although edged out in a second set tie-break, held her nerve to take the third 6-3 to seal the win for the Americas.

The Russian pair of Vera Zvonareva and Alexandra Panova beat Asia-Pacificā€™s Zheng Jie and Zhang Ling 6-2 6-4 in the doubles to go with the teamā€™s two singles wins on Wednesday.

Asia-Pacific and Europe will meet in the silver final.


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Tim Farthing, Tennishead Editorial Director & Owner, has been a huge tennis fan his whole life. He's a tennis journalist and entrepreneur as well as playing tennis to a national standard. He also helps manage his local club and volunteers for his local tennis organisation. He's a specialist in content about the administration of professional tennis and tennis coaching for all levels.