In her first tournament since she withdrew from the US Open after being diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome, wildcard Venus Williams battled past No. 3 Petra Kvitova 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 in the second round of the Sony Ericsson Open on Friday night.
“A tough match,†said Williams. “Going into it, I know she’s playing well. I wanted to stay focused on my game.
“I was just trying to stay tough and make the point. That’s the best I could do.
“So it was definitely gratifying. I know she’s playing well and I know, you know, that I have fallen off the ranks and she’s risen up the ranks since I have been injured.
“So in many ways we’ve changed places. It’s definitely satisfying.â€
Currently at No. 134 in the world, Williams is looking to improve her ranking and her between matches recovery due to her auto-immune disease.
“Definitely to win these matches definitely a lot of it’s mental to get out there and believe you’re gonna win and execute.
“I have definitely come a long way physically. I think I know a lot better how to recover. My recovery is definitely similar to before. I definitely have to cut out a lot of extracurricular actives. I’m not gonna to be the one having fun dinners. I am gonna be the one stuck in the room.
“The price to pay is definitely worth it.
“I mean, I’ve got nothing to lose. Like literally I have nothing to lose.
“So I think if there’s anyone on this tour besides me and maybe Kleybanova, we have the least amount to lose than anyone on tour. Everything, every shot is a victory and a blessing.
“So it’s like I’m just, you know, going for it.â€
Kvitova discussed the match with media: “That first round, Venus, wasn’t really easy. I mean, she played very well after a long time.
“She looks very ready, very fit.”
The match marked Venus Williams 600th win on the WTA tour. She is the 14th woman to accomplish this feat. She has a 600-147 career record.
Williams will face Canada’s Aleksandra Wozniack next.