Your Web Site
Venus Williams stretches for a backhand. Photographer: Hugo Philpott/EPA Her main rivals might be more preoccupied by couture than court craft, but a defiant performance by Britain's Naomi Cavaday ensured that defending champion Venus Williams had her work cut out on the court rather than the catwalk this afternoon. Williams completed a victory of substance over style in 77 minutes, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1. Cavaday, a 19-year-old wild card entrant ranked No197 in the world, got off to a dream start on her Centre Court debut, breaking the four-times champion in the opening game before opening up a 3-1 lead. A stunned Williams recovered the deficit to level at 3-3, but Cavaday, opening her shoulders from the baseline and employing her swinging left-handed serve to telling effect, refused to lie down. Having saved two break points in the... [read full story]
