Tennis: Venus looks sharp in 70th US Open win
Venus Williams beat Julia Goerges 6-2, 6-3 to notch up her 70th career victory at the US Open.
NEW YORK (AFP) - Venus Williams notched up her 70th career victory at the US Open on Thursday, reaching the third round with a crisp 6-2, 6-3 victory over Julia Goerges.
After surviving 63 unforced errors to squeeze past Ukrainian Kateryna Kozlova in the first round, the 36-year-old Williams had just 17 -- with 18 winners -- in her one hour and 18 minute win.
"Woo hoo! Feels good," said Williams, who unlike others playing under the new roof on Arthur Ashe stadium was buoyed by the enthusiastic crowd rather than put off by the amplified noise.
"There s nothing like playing in New York," said Williams, who first played on Ashe in 1997 -- the year it was unveiled.
"It was a long time ago," she said. "I m so grateful to still be here playing, winning matches."
The American veteran also revealed that she had dropped sugar from her diet in a bid to keep her in the top 10 and challenging for the majors.
"It was just something that I wanted to try. Like I always said, I m always trying something different to find a peak performance, something I started recently," she said.
Losing her sweet tooth, she added, is not a problem.
"I don t miss anything about it. I can fit in my clothes, I feel good. When you re having results, you don t really miss the past. But if it s not working and you still feel the same, it s like, Why not go back?"
With her 72nd main draw appearance in a major Williams has broken the Open Era mark she shared with compatriot Amy Frazier for most Grand Slams contested.
The seven-time major winner, who won back-to-back titles in Flushing Meadows in 2000 and 2001, said her latest Grand Slam bid was right on track.
"I just want to keep playing aggressive, make less errors," she said. "That s definitely a success in this match."
China s Zhang Shuai knocked former champion -- and her current doubles partner -- Samantha Stosur out of the US Open and admitted she had surprised herself with her 6-3, 6-3 win.
The world number 51, who made the Australian Open quarter-finals this year, had lost to 2011 champion Stosur in the second round of the French Open.
"I didn t think I could beat her, it s very hard to defeat a former champion," said 27-year-old Zhang.
"She s a great player and has a good spinning forehand. It was very tough to play her."
Zhang goes on to face Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan for a place in the last 16.
Fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska shook off a slow start to reach the third round of the US Open with a 7-6 (11/9) 6-3 victory over Britain s Naomi Broady.
Radwanska, who has never made it past the fourth round at Flushing Meadows, next faces 25th seed Caroline Garcia of France, a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 winner over Czech Katerina Siniakova.
