Venus Williams and Victoria Azarenka in life may be worlds apart. Ten years in age separates the two with Azarenka 24-years-old and Williams now a 34-year-old veteran of the game.
Some early career headlines for the American, such as "Venus to Earth", put her solidly in her own head space along with sister Serena but both the five- times winner at Wimbledon Williams and twice Australian Open winner, Azarenka, who won their first round matches yesterday, have arrived in London having buried ghosts along the way.
Also a former world number one, Azarenka won her first match since January’s Australian Open, beating Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-3 7-5. The eighth-seeded Belarusian has played only twice in the last six months because of an injury to her left foot and that includes limping out of this year’s French Open.
Williams’ health problems have been even more unforgiving and hers remains a management issue since she was diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that, according to Sjogren’s Syndrome Foundation, causes white blood cells to attack glands in the body.
Upward curve
Williams, who was forced to stop playing for more than six months in 2011-12 because of the illness, has been able to work her way back up the rankings. She used to fall asleep at the wheel of her car when she parked it in her drive and her daily routine now continues to be a balancing act between practice, training and rest as well as a vegan diet.
Seeded 30 in the draw, it took her three sets to put down Spain’s Maria Theresa Torro-Flor 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. Maybe afraid to give her opponents an edge, Williams was unwilling to elaborate on her energy levels and has surprisingly entered the doubles competition with her sister, Serena, although, that event has always been a moveable feast depending on the progress of each in the singles.
“Yeah, I mean you just get diagnosed when you have symptoms, so that’s pretty much it,” said Williams firmly. “Unfortunately it’s not something you had, it’s something you have. So, on a daily basis I’m trying to get the best out of myself. That’s all I can ask, to get the best out of me.”
Williams also missed last year’s event because of an injury that didn’t allow her to serve properly, so she hasn’t played at Wimbledon since 2012, when she lost in the first round.
Azarenka therapy
Azarenka, twice a semi-finalist here, discovered how to bide her time during a rehab that revealed an expressive side to her nature.
“I start painting,” she said. “I don’t even know what the hell I paint. I started doing it with my hands.
“I didn’t want to wash my hands so I did like that on my shirt. Then I forget. It dried out. I walked outside because I’m lazy. People were like wow that’s such an amazing shirt. I actually had a meeting with Nike. I said I can make more of that if you want to come to my house.”
That’s how to make a million but more of the creative impulse is required to advance and it’s so far so good for two on the come back trail.
Petra Kvitova, the Wimbledon champion in 2011, dropped just thee games in a 6-3, 6-0 romp against Czechoslovakia's Andrea Hlavackova with Caroline Wozniacki looking like she is going to make the first-round cut too.
The Dane led her match 6-3 and 2-0 in the second set before the first rains arrived to send the ball boys scampering across the courts with the covers just after 8.00pm.
