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Tennis fans were thrilled to witness Venus Williams’ gritty performance at the ongoing WTA 250 Birmingham Classic.
On Monday, June 19, Williams faced former Canadian Open champion Camila Giorgi in the opening round of the Birmingham Classic. The veteran, who suffered a hamstring injury in January, and had been on the sidelines since, was contesting just her second match since returning to the tour. Williams commenced her campaign with a loss to Celine Naef at the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships last week.
This time around, Venus Williams, ranked No. 697 in the world, appeared more confident and put on a resilient display to edge out World No. 48 Giorgi in three sets, 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(6), after a grueling three hours and 17 minutes of play. The clash also saw the seven-time Grand Slam champion opt for a medical timeout and take a nasty fall in the opening set.
Tennis fans were thrilled by the 43-year-old pulling off an outstanding upset over her Italian opponent despite the struggles, and they shared their reactions about the win.
One fan praised the tennis legend for turning her weaknesses into strengths.
“Absolutely incredible. the way Venus turned all her supposed "weaknesses" in recent years into strengths, with her defence and stamina coming through at the end (3 hours and 17 minutes!). not just winning, but doing so in such a physically gruelling way!” the fan remarked.
Another fan was impressed by Venus Williams’ passion for the sport.
“I love how much Venus loves tennis. This is the goal, right? To be able to do the thing(s) that you enjoy most day in and day out because money is of no consequence. She (and her sister) put in the work, and now?...they coast,” the fan said.
Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:
"She pushed me to be better" – Venus Williams on 2023 Birmingham Classic win over Camila Giorgi
The opening-round win at the 2023 Birmingham Classic was just Venus Williams’ second since her first-round victory at the Wimbledon Championships in 2021.
The former World No. 1 was thus expectedly ecstatic about pulling through in the encounter of narrow margins against a player like Camila Giorgi.
After the match, Williams reflected on her form in the match and gave herself a pat on the back. She also praised her opponent for an incredible fight.
"I thought I played so well today and she also played incredible. I'm so surprised she isn't number one in the world. There were so many moments when I thought this match is over and she would hit a shot out of nowhere," Williams said.
The American said that the Italian brought out the best in her.
"So, she pushed me to be better than what I thought I could be and this is great, great for me. I haven't played a lot of matches, great to come through," she added.
Venus Williams will now face the winner between Linda Noskova and former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the second round of the Birmingham Classic.
Venus Williams and Father Richard recall one match that 7-time Grand Slam champion "should have won"
