OlympicTalk · Feb 8, 2021
Serena, 39, and Venus, 40, win Australian Open first-round matches
Serena Williams is into the second round of the Australian Open at age 39. Sister Venus also advanced, becoming the first woman in her 40s to win a Grand Slam main draw match in eight years.
Serena, the No. 10 seed, overpowered 49th-ranked German Laura Siegemund 6-1, 6-1 in 56 minutes after being broken in her first game of the tournament. Now 76-1 in the first round of majors, she next plays 99th-ranked Serbian Nina Stojanovi\u0107.
Serena said before the tournament that she probably would not have played if it was held on its usual dates, three weeks earlier, citing an Achilles injury that forced her to withdraw from the French Open on Sept. 30. She’s also nursing a right shoulder injury.