WASINGTON—Venus Williams’ return to tennis came to an abrupt end in the last 16 of the ATP/WTA DC Open on Thursday, with the veteran American losing to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in straight sets.
The 45-year-old seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, playing this week for the first time in 16 months, had become the oldest woman to win a WTA match in more than two decades with Tuesday’s first round win over Peyton Stearns.
But Williams found the going harder against fifth seed Frech in Thursday’s third round clash, losing 6-2, 6-2 in 1hr 13min.
Williams said she was nonetheless satisfied with her return to competitive tennis.
“I had so much fun,” Williams said. “Not the result I wanted (but) I got to play a lot of matches, definitely a plus. I couldn’t be happier…
“I ran out of gas today unfortunately…Sorry to have fell short. But I know I can play better and I know I will play better,” added Williams, who is due to play in next month’s Cincinnati Open after being handed a wild card into the event.
Frech will face third seed Elena Rybakina in Friday’s quarter-finals.
Pegula stunned
In other games on Thursday, Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, the 2021 US Open finalist, upset top seed Jessica Pegula 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 to move into a quarter-final meeting with Taylor Townsend on Friday.
Townsend took down sixth seed Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-0.
Britain’s Emma Raducanu continued her impressive run of recent form with a 6-4, 6-2 defeat of Japan’s Naomi Osaka and will face Greece’s Maria Sakkari on Friday.
In the men’s draw, fourth seed Ben Shelton moved into the quarter-finals after beating Canadian 15th seed Gabriel Diallo 6-3, 6-2. Shelton will face compatriot Frances Tiafoe in the last eight, the sixth seed defeating ninth-seeded Italian Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 6-4. AFP
Australia’s Alex de Minaur is also into the quarter-finals after downing Jiri Lehecka 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (6/8), 6-4.
Top seed Taylor Fritz also sailed into the last eight with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Matteo Arnaldi.
