Venus and Date-Krumm strike blows for seniors at Wimbledon

Five-time champion signals a strong return after winning in straight sets

LONDON - Five-time champion Venus Williams and 40-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm reached the Wimbledon second round on Monday, striking an early blow for the tournament's senior citizens at the 125th Championships.

Williams, 31, was untroubled in disposing of Uzbekistan's Akgul Amanmuradova 6-3, 6-1, showing no signs of the hip injury which kept her off the tour for five months until her Eastbourne return last week.

The American, whose choice of a loose-fitting, lace-like top and baggy white shorts caused as much conversation as her free-flowing tennis on Court Two, fired 23 winners past the Uzbek.

Williams now takes on Date-Krumm who became the second oldest winner of a singles match at Wimbledon with her 6-0, 7-5 demolition of British wild card Katie O'Brien.

Date-Krumm, a semifinalist at the All England Club in 1996 and who made her debut in 1989, had the honor of playing the first match on the new Court Three which has replaced the old Court Two, the former Graveyard of the Champions.

Meanwhile, London's police said they were prepared for the possibility of bomb threats and attacks targeting the Wimbledon championships as the tournament got under way.

Superintendent Pete Dobson, the day-to-day police commander at the All England Club, said their plans for policing the championships had to be set against the national threat levels posed by international and Irish republican terrorism.

He stressed no specific threats had been made against the tournament but London's police were nonetheless on alert.

"The tennis championships are one of the great sporting events of the year," Dobson said. "We have road-tested plans to ensure we have a safe and secure event for all to enjoy."

Agence France-Presse

Other results:

Men's 1st rd

Milos Raonic (CAN x31) bt Marc Gicquel (FRA) 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-3; Feliciano Lopez (ESP) bt Michael Berrer (GER) 6-4, 7-5, 6-3.

Women's 1st rd

Pauline Parmentier (FRA) bt Sorana Cirstea (ROM) 6-1, 6-3; Yanina Wickmayer (BEL x19) bt Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 7-5, 6-3; Anna Tatishvili (GEO) bt Anastasia Pivovarova (RUS) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3; Elena Vesnina (RUS) bt Laura Pous (ESP) 6-4, 6-3.

(China Daily 06/21/2011 page24)