Venus Victorious in Luxembourg Open First Round
Venus Williams returned to action in the first round of the 2012 BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open, defeating Belinda Bencic, 6-3, 6-1 in just over an hour, Venus’ first match since the 2012 U.S. Open. Venus was broken once, but apart from that was barely challenged on her serve, maybe a sign the back issues that plagued her at the end of the summer that caused her withdrawal from Beijing.
"I was playing with some problems at the Open – it was difficult to serve, and that’s a huge part of my game," Venus said. "But I have worked really hard to be able to be here, and I came planning to put some good serves in the box. I was happy with it today. Right now, I’m going more for percentage than power, which is tough, because I really like hitting it hard! So it’s 50-50 really."
"It was a very great experience to play against Venus in my first WTA main draw," she said. "I was excited when I saw the draw. There were things I could have done better, but I’m happy how I did," said Bencic. "She’s a pro and
Venus missed seven months of play from September 2011 to March 2012 due to the autoimmune illness, Sjogrens Syndrome, and has had worked her way back into the WTA top 50 with some impressive finishes, including the semis of Cincinnati and a number of quarterfinals appearances.
