ROME (AP) ― Beating one of the Williams sisters is an accomplishment any young tennis player should celebrate. Winning consecutive matches against both of them would likely be a career highlight.
British teenager Laura Robson faces that task after beating Venus Williams 6-3, 6-2 on Monday at the Italian Open to set up a second-round match against younger sister Serena ― the world’s top-ranked player.
“I just like it on big courts against these huge players because I just go out there with nothing to lose,” said the 19-year-old. “I can remember seeing (Venus) play at Wimbledon when I was about 10 and I was kind of blown away with the speed that she hit the ball.
“Today when she hit it in the center of the racket, it was basically point over, so I just had to take my chances.”
The 39th-ranked Robson won the Wimbledon junior title at age 14, and at last week’s Madrid Open she upset fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska before losing in the third round to former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic in a third-set tiebreaker.
Both Robson and Williams struggled with the wind at the Foro Italico, with the young Brit hitting eight double-faults while the American veteran had six. Williams’ errors, however, came at more inopportune times, including two double-faults in the final game.
“It’s always hard to play high quality tennis in that wind,” Robson said. “I wish it could have been a higher standard but I’m happy to have won.”