She will face Jelena Ostapenko in next round
Venus Williams at 43 years, currently ranked at No. 697, displayed her enduring talent not on her preferred grass surface, securing a notable victory at the Birmingham Classic. In a match lasting over three hours, Williams defeated the 48th-ranked Camila Giorgi with a score of 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (6). This win marked her first triumph over a top 50 player in nearly four years.
A seven-time Grand Slam champion and five-time Wimbledon singles winner, Williams had been out for six months due to a hamstring injury suffered in Auckland, New Zealand, early in the year. Last week, upon her return to the court, she suffered a first-round defeat against 17-year-old Celine Naef in the Libema Open in the Netherlands.
Reflecting on her match against Giorgi, Williams admitted it was a closely contested battle. She expressed her admiration for her opponent’s unexpected shots and acknowledged that Giorgi pushed her to exceed her own expectations. Despite not having played many matches recently, Williams was pleased with her performance and the ability to come out victorious.
In the Wimbledon warmup event, other notable victories were achieved by third-seeded Magda Linette, fifth-seeded Anhelina Kalinina from Ukraine, and Bernarda Pera from the United States.