Venus Williams, aged 43 and ranked No 697, pulls off surprising win at Birmingham Classic
BIRMINGHAM, England — At age 43 and ranked No. 697, Venus Williams isn't done quite yet — especially on her favored surface of grass.
Williams upset 48th-ranked Camile Giorgi 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (6) after more than three hours at the Birmingham Classic on Monday for her first victory over a player in the top 50 in nearly four years.
Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion and five-time winner of the Wimbledon singles, was out for six months because of a hamstring injury sustained in Auckland in the first week of the year.
On her return last week, she lost to 17-year-old Celine Naef in the first round of the Libema Open in the Netherlands.
Williams said it was "touch and go" against Giorgi.
"There were so many moments where I thought, 'This match is over,' then she would hit a shot from out of nowhere," Williams said. "She pushed me to be better than what I thought I could be, and it's great for me.
"I haven't played a lot of matches, and it's great to come through." There were also wins for third-seeded Magda Linette, fifth-seeded Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine and Bernarda Pera of the United States in the Wimbledon warmup event.
AP
Most Popular
- Nation's Winter Paralympics squad is its biggest ever
- China to send 70 athletes to Milan-Cortina Paralympic Winter Games
- China announces largest-ever delegation for 2026 Winter Paralympics in Italy
- Chinese men's basketball team beats Japan
- Grassroots soccer hits fever pitch in 'wild stadium'
- Team China excels on and off the field at 2026 Games





























