Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka moved smoothly into the second round of the Australian Open on a packed opening day at Melbourne Park, but the loudest ovation, and the cruellest exit, belonged to Venus Williams.
Back at the tournament for the first time since 2021, the 45-year-old Williams produced a performance rich in grit, grace and nostalgia, only to watch victory slip away.
She led Serbiaβs Olga Danilovic 4-0 in the deciding set before falling 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4 in a match that swung on fine margins and fading daylight.
Williams, the oldest woman in the Open era to contest a singles
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