Australian Open: Bencic stuns Venus in first round

TIL Desk Sports/ Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic upset fifth seed Venus Williams in the first round of the women’s singles competition in the Australian Open tennis tournament here on Monday. Placed 78th in the world rankings, Bencic defeated the American star 6-3, 7-5 in a match that lasted one hour and 53 minutes at the Rod Laver Arena.

Bencic will face the winner of the match between Thailand’s Luksika Kumkhum and Johanna Larsson of Sweden in the second round. The world number 5 American struggled to find her rhythm in the rain-interrupted match, dropping the first set.

Although Williams fared better in the second, the in-form Swiss hitter outplayed the American and sealed the victory after breaking serve in the final game. Bencic believes that in their previous meetings she showed the seven-time Grand Slam winner “too much respect.” “I played a little bit to careful and safe.