Venus Williams hits a gorgeous drop shot against Hibino at Indian Wells. Always known for her easy power & athleticism. But this legend’s got some tricks up her sleeve too. 🪄
Remarkable turnaround: Venus WILLIAMS falls to Nao HIBINO in Indian Wells opener
WTAFriday, 08 March 2024 at 08:39
Venus Williams couldn't overcome Nao Hibino and fell 6-2, 3-6, 0-6 in the first round of Indian Wells. In her first match since the 2023 US Open, the 7-times Grand Slam champion once again displayed her competitive spirit but couldn't sustain it throughout the match against the Japanese player who came through the qualifiers.
In her 31st season as a professional, Williams decided to return to Indian Wells after a five-year absence, starting a match on Wednesday night that halted with a 1-1 tie in the first set.
Resuming the match on Thursday, March 7, Venus took the lead in her first service game, a crucial moment in a set where both players struggled with their serves. During the set, Hibino failed to hold her serve at all, despite having a 67% first-serve percentage, winning only 29% of them, and a mere 14% with the second.
On Williams' side, she excelled in crucial points, saved a break point against her, and capitalized on her opportunities to close the set 6-2, showcasing her trademark strength in rallies.
In the second set, things changed for both players, who no longer struggled as much with their serves. Hibino had a break point in her favor in the first game of the set but couldn't capitalize on it. Both players held their serves without offering break opportunities to their opponent during the first half of the set. With the score at 3-3, a new chance came for the Japanese player, and this time she seized it to take the lead against Venus for the first time in the match.
The break was a turning point in the match, as from then on, Venus appeared out of sync, and Hibino completely dominated the rest of the encounter. The Japanese player won the next two games consecutively and closed the set 6-3.
At the beginning of the third set, Venus Williams showed her last efforts and had several break points in her favor, but couldn't capitalize on them. Nevertheless, Hibino didn't falter and cruised over the former world No. 1 for the remainder of the set, winning six consecutive games to secure a hard-fought triumph 2-6, 6-3, 6-0. In the second round, she will face the Russian Veronika Kudermetova (No. 17), who received a bye in the first round.
claps 0visitors 786
Just In
Popular News
Latest Comments
- Rybakina is back!!
mandoist21-12-2024 - She sems to have a turbulent relationship with The Truth. Not even smartenough to make an excuse like "I severely twisted my ankle yesterday" -- then be seen shopping in some city next day while "recuperating"!mandoist21-12-2024
- Why do you even publish this TwatCaster's PATHETIC stunt for attention? There's plenty of reasons why imbeciles like him are 'talking' and people like Iga Swiatek are 'walking the walk'. Tennisuptodate should be above this tripe.mandoist16-12-2024
- If and when Political Correctness and gullible hearts over-rule BIOLOGY, the Human world begins its already seeming decline.mandoist15-12-2024
- The new generation has arrived and these guys need to do it with the left overs.
AceOfBase13-12-2024 - Every young, inexperiend CEO has "better" ideas (and friends to hire).mandoist12-12-2024
- What a load of nonsense. Emotional stress definitely didn’t cause her wrist or ankle injuries.Lyca10-12-2024
- Taylor Fritz 🎾 – the surprising third for many. 🎄 A great Christmas tree quiz question! 🎅✨MrAndreeva10-12-2024
- Simona Halep taking the axe out 🪓😮💨MrAndreeva08-12-2024
- ITIA is literally a Secret Organization. Way past time for a neutral entity to oversee, if not guide, these Elitists within ITIA whom enjoy their ability to keep their "investigations" in a business as usual format behind closed doors!!mandoist08-12-2024
