Nadal, Venus make comfortable starts to their Wimbledon campaigns

Defending champion Rafael Nadal made an emphatic start to his bid for a third Wimbledon title yesterday while five-time winner Venus Williams was back in the old routine with a dominant display.

Nadal, fresh from a record-equalling sixth French Open, was only troubled briefly by 33-year-old American Michael Russell as he cantered to a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 first round win.

Russell, who has never got beyond the second round, broke for a 4-2 lead in the first set, but Nadal then reeled off six games in succession to take the opener and lead 2-0 in the second set.

Nadal was quickly 4-1 ahead in the third set and there was no way back for the world 91 as the top seed, who unleashed 35 winners, set up a second round meeting with Ryan Sweeting of the United States.

Victorious: Russia’s Ksenia Pervak celebrating her 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 upset win over Israel’s Shahar Peer in the first round yesterday. – AP

Venus vows to fight on despite injuring back muscle

VENUS Williams suffered a muscle injury in the second round of the Australian Open yesterday, describing the ailment as one of the toughest to bear in her career, but played through the pain to beat unheralded Czech Sandra Zahlavova 6-7, 6-0, 6-4.

The 30-year-old American screamed in agony after a volley in the final point of the first set tiebreak and hobbled off court to take a medical time-out between sets at a sun-drenched Rod Laver Arena.

She re-emerged gingerly with her right thigh heavily strapped and despite grimacing in pain throughout, blasted her way through the second set before sealing the win with a big serve that Zahlavova pushed wide.

Flamboyant: Venus Williams, dressed in outfit inspired by Alice in Wonderland, celebrates after winning her second round match. — Reuters

The seven-time Grand Slam champion later said she had strained a psoas, a lower back muscle with tendons linked to the spine and hip, and could only hope the injury would “calm down” to allow her to play the next round.