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| Venus Williams celebrates win/AP Images |
By Allie Leogrande
March 19 marked the start of the 2012 Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. The first round of the Women’s Singles started Tuesday and continued Wednesday, as 31-year-old Venus Williams defeated Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-0, 6-3. It was her first singles match win since August. It was a significant match for Williams, coming back to the game of tennis after announcing she was diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome, a fatigue-causing, auto-immune disease. After the match, Williams expressed her gratefulness for simply being back.
“I mean, just to be in this tournament is a huge win for me. Just to be here is a win. You know, that's what I told myself going in, that this is a win. I have nothing to lose. Just, you know, to gain. Just to get back at this level is a win for me,” she said.
Though she’s currently world ranked number 134, Williams is hoping to make the U.S. Olympic team for the third time in her career. Venus’ younger sister Serena is scheduled to play Thursday at 11 AM against Shuai Zhang of China.
Unseeded Kim Clijsters also won her first round match, defeating Aussie Jarmila Gajdosova 4-6, 6-1, 6-0. Clijsters is also overcoming an obstacle, having sustained a left ankle injury in the Australian Open. Saying her ankle feels ‘totally fine,’ Clijsters went on to say that she doesn’t worry about the injury anymore, though she is not able to play without the support of tape yet.
Television coverage of the Sony Ericsson Open early rounds can be seen on the Tennis Channel Saturday, March 24 to Tuesday, March 27. The quarterfinals and semifinals will air on ESPN2 from Wednesday, March 28 to Friday, March 30. The Women’s Final will air on CBS Saturday, March 31, and the Men’s Final will air on CBS Sunday, April 1.
On a lighter note, retired tennis star Martina Navratilova made her dancing debut on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” March 19. The 55-year-old, 59 Grand Slam titles winner danced the foxtrot with professional dance partner Tony Dovolani. The pair scored 20 points total from three judges, getting individual scores of 7, 6, and 7.
If you haven’t seen Navratilova trade in her tennis sneakers for dancing shoes, check out her first performance from ABC’s official YouTube page here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j_Znft4LR8
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