"Just trying to shake off the rust" - Venus Williams after loss in return

Venus Williams made her way back to the courts after a very long absence and it was a predictable loss for Venus against Rebecca Marino.

It wasn't a terrible performance considering the circumstances as Williams was able to win a set against a fairly decent player so there is some optimism about her level. It certainly looked better than it did for the majority of her last year when she really did not play well at all.

Speaking after the match, Williams said:

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“I didn’t think I played well a lot of the time. Just trying to shake off some rust. That’s just to be expected. All I can do is just play another tournament and play better.”

Commenting further on the return, Williams said:

“I think it was a real thrill for the crowd to see us hit together. I think more than anything, it was just very exciting for the tournament.”