WATCH: Venus Williams hilariously interrupted by cat during Miami Open 1R clash against Diana Shnaider

Venus Williams' first-round match against Diana Shnaider at the Miami Open 2024 on Tuesday, March 19, witnessed a cat invasion adding to the crowd's amusement at the Grandstand.

Williams entered the women's singles mix in Miami as the wildcard and drew Diana Shnaider in the opening round. The proceedings began on a disappointing note for the American as she lost her serve in the first game of the match itself.

She staged a brief comeback by breaking back in the fourth game, however, Shnaider dominated the 43-year-old and secured two more breaks to claim the set.

The second set opened on a rather tense note as both players struggled to hold their respective serves in the first four games. However, a cat entered the playing area during the fourth game at the Grandstand to calm the nerves.

The cat's mischief distracted Williams, the chair umpire, the commentators, and the spectators for a brief while before the action resumed.

Watch the video here:

Williams and Shnaider remained on serve till the latter converted a breakpoint in the eighth game and then held her own serve in the ninth to claim the match 6-3, 6-3.

In the second round, Shnaider will have another American in the form of Madison Keys eyeing a place in the third round of the WTA 1000 event in Miami.

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Venus Williams has bagged three titles at Miami Open since turning pro in 1994

Venus Williams (R) holds the Miami Open 2001 women's singles trophy beside runner-up Jennifer Capriati.

Even though Venus Williams crashed out of the Miami Open this year without winning a match, she can still boast of three titles that she won at the Miami Gardens in 1998, 1999, and 2001.

Williams, who took up tennis professionally in 1994, claimed her first glory in Miami by overcoming Anna Kournikova 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the final held in 1998. In the previous rounds that year, she went past the likes of Tatiana Panova, Olga Barbanschikova, Rita Grande, Silvia Farina, and top-seed Martina Hingis.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion defended her title the following year by defeating her sister Serena Williams 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in the summit clash. She previously downed the likes of Tara Snyder, Fabiola Zuluaga, Anke Huber, Lindsay Davenport (walkover), and Steffi Graf.

Venus Williams won her third and final trophy in 2001 with a 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4) win over Jennifer Capriati in the decider.