Davydenko exits early, Williams labors on

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-25  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

DEFENDING women's champion Venus Williams overcame a shaky start to reach the Wimbledon second round with a 7-6, 6-1 victory over British wildcard Naomi Cavaday yesterday.

The American was given a tougher than expected workout on Centre Court by the Englishwoman, world-ranked 197, who matched the seventh seed stroke for stroke in the opening set before wilting in the second.

"She played a great match, put a lot of pace on the ball and made me make some errors," Williams said. "But I always felt confident. I felt good out there and I'm always looking to improve."

In the day's big upset, fourth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko was ousted in the first round for the fifth time. Davydenko lost 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to Germany's Benjamin Becker yesterday, extending his woeful run on grass at the All England Club.

The 27-year-old Russian player has advanced past the first round only twice in seven trips to Wimbledon, including a fourth-round exit last year.

On Monday, former runner-up David Nalbandian was the highest seeded player ousted on the opening day, upset 4-6, 2-6, 4-6 by Canada's Frank Dancevic.

Also, third-seeded Maria Sharapova advanced to the second round with a 6-1, 6-4 win over French qualifier Stephanie Foretz.

Sharapova, the 2004 Wimbledon champion, broke Foretz's serve four times and had little difficulty in her first match on grass this season.

It was far from vintage performance for Venus Williams, who has not reached a final in her seven events this year and again declined to hone her game on grass in the lead-up to the tournament.

From 40-0 up on her opening serve Williams was distracted by an insect buzzing around her ankles. She fended it off with an irritated swat but, with her concentration interrupted, Cavaday reeled off five successive points to break.

Cavaday, who came within a whisker of dumping out former world No. 1 Martina Hingis in the first round 12 months ago but spurned two match points, confidently held her first two service games as a clearly rattled Williams struggled to find her rhythm.

Betraying no nerves, the left-handed Cavaday peppered the flanks with raking forehands and double-handed backhands that produced a torrent of clean winners.

Recovering her composure, Williams broke back at the second opportunity in the sixth game when Cavaday tamely netted.

No further breaks sent the opening set into a tiebreak.

Cavaday hit back from 4-2 down to level but a netted backhand handed Williams two set points and although Cavaday saved the first, the American took the set when her opponent again netted from a high-kicking second serve.

Williams raced through the second set in just 21 minutes as Cavaday's consistency unravelled, taking the match with a crisp forehand winner.

Williams is seeking to join a select handful of players, including Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf, who have won at least five singles titles at the citadel of grasscourt tennis.

She next faces Anna Keothavong, the highest-ranked British woman who beat Vania King of the US 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Also, Sania Mirza battled through the pain barrier to reach the second round with a scrappy 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 win over Colombia's Catalina Castano. The Indian No. 1 is making a comeback after undergoing wrist surgery in April.

Last year's semifinalist Richard Gasquet comfortably moved into the men's second round, beating American Mardy Fish 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

The eighth-seeded Frenchman returned to Court One where he memorably defeated Andy Roddick in five sets last year and showed glimpses of the form that had led to his best grand slam finish. Gasquet next faces compatriot Sebastien Grosjean, who overcame Italian Potito Starace 6-2, 7-5, 6-1.

Meanwhile, seven men have retired so far from their matches here, equalling a professional-era record at grand slam tournaments for the first round.