Old school Venus Williams, up against older school Kimiko Date-Krumm, who played her first Wimbledon before more than a quarter of this year’s women’s draw was born, started a step slow. Venus’ spry opponent made her appear slower, but she won the last point. It took nearly three hours and three long, see-saw sets, but Venus won this sometimes heartbreaking, often thrilling, always dramatic match, 6-7 (6), 6-3, 8-6.
Now, as some wait to finish their first-round matches, the five-time Wimbledon champion becomes the first woman to reach the third round.
Watched on by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, under a closed roof as it rained outside and Date-Krumm’s winners reigned inside, things started quickly, much too quickly for Venus. “Mrs. Date-Krumm,” as she was called on Centre Court, raced to a 5-1 lead. The 40-year-old could do no wrong. She moved well, moved the ball well, returned well. Most important, she volleyed well, repeatedly making her way to net and putting volleys away. With flat strokes and a compact swing, Date-Krumm took balls early and used angles to find all sorts of lines. A counterpuncher by trade, she looked anything but. In the first set Date-Krumm hit 26 winners to 14 errors (compared to 16 winners and eight errors for Venus). But if Venus struggled to start the set, Date-Krumm struggled to end it. She saw seven set points come and go and fought off one set point of Venus' along the way. Finally Date-Krumm won her eighth set point when Venus hit a backhand into the net.
In the second and third sets, as the rain started subsiding and both players started trending on Twitter, Venus grew more confident, was less tentative and moved better. Perhaps it took her time to figure out her opponent's game; despite being aging, ageless veterans who’d played 1,236 matches on tour, the two had never played each other. Perhaps it took her time to build up her match skills; the anticipation and movement would have likely been better from the start had Venus not been sidelined with a right hip injury between the Australian Open in January and Eastbourne last week. Whatever it was, it started coming back, particularly Venus’ serving. She began to make more first serves; she was 69 percent for the match. (Interestingly, Date-Krumm seemed to have a harder time with the slower serves than those at 120 mph.) Venus also started finding her way to the net more; she would win 24 of 41 approaches.
When it was over, 15,000 people, including everyone in the royal box, stood up and clapped to show appreciation for the terrific shotmaking they’d seen over nearly three hours. It was a tough one to lose for Date-Krumm, who earlier this week won her first match at Wimbledon in 15 years, and today heard the crowd roar in approval as she walked off court. Venus didn’t twirl in celebration like she might have a decade ago. She simply put her left arm in the air to acknowledge the crowd, without a big smile but with relief apparent.
Both played well (Date-Krumm actually hit one more winner), but Venus played better when it mattered. Which is why Venus—wearing what Chris Evert incorrectly but perhaps fittingly called a toga—has ruled on this green, green grass for so, so long.
—Bobby Chintapalli