Venus Williams leaves the court after losing her match at the Australian Open. Photo: thomas peter/ReutersAt the U.S. Open last year, four American women reached the semifinals, a rare achievement by a single nation in tennis. But at the Australian Open, they’re closing in on a different kind of sweep: first-round upsets. In Melbourne on Monday three of the four highest-ranked American women went down to unseeded players. Venus Williams was beaten by Belinda Bencic, a 20-year-old former top-10 pro who is recovering from injury, 6-3, 7-5.

Source: Wall Street Journal January 15, 2018 13:30 UTC