Venus Williams was able to focus on Wimbledon despite her involvement in a recent fatal car crash as the five-time champion beat Elise Mertens 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 in the first round on Monday. The world number 11 put the horror crash to one side as she advanced to the second round, where she will face China’s Wang Qiang. (Read | Injured Nick Kyrgios pulls out of Wimbledon opener)Making her first appearance in the Wimbledon main draw, Mertens, 21, was just one when Venus made her Wimbledon debut in 1997. Mertens, ranked 54th, was playing only her fifth career Grand Slam match, while Williams is a seven-time Grand Slam winner and reached the Wimbledon semi-finals last year. The Romanian, a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2014, is one of four women who could top the rankings after the grasscourt slam.

Source: Hindustan Times July 03, 2017 14:48 UTC