Venus Head Drops ©PA / S. Dempsey

Venus Williams, chasing her fourth Wimbledon title, is facing a worrying time as she awaits a return to court after rain stopped play in her match against Akiko Morigami. She won the first set 6-2 but is 1-4 down in the second. Victory would set up a mouth-watering clash with Maria Sharapova.

But first Williams, decked out in white tight-fitting hot pants, needs to overcome her daintier Japanese opponent, resplendent in a feminine combination of frills and lace, on Court 2, the Graveyard of Champions.

The two have met before, on an indoor court in Memphis where Williams was pushed to achieve a three-set victory. On the opening games today, it looked as if history could be repeating itself, with Morigami twice holding serve to love while Williams struggled to hold her own serve, including saving a break-point in her opening effort.

The match turned the 26-year-old American’s way in the sixth game when her returns finally made an impression on her opponent.

Williams, in full flow, is an awesome sight as she accentuates her strikes with a seeming “growl”. She relentlessly hits her shots to either side of the court to pull her opponent wide, setting herself up for a winning strike. On this occasion, it earned her the break she was looking for to lead 3-2.

Having set herself in motion, she rolled forward to claim the first set. In the second set, she just failed to convert chances to establish a vital lead as Morigami regrouped to save three crucial breakpoints.

It proved to be another turning point for the 27-year-old world No. 71 from Tokyo. She began to stamp her own imprint on the match, hitting sweeping double-handed shots on both sides to capture the Williams’ serve for the first time.

Leading 2-1, she went on to embarrass the former world number one further by repeating the offence two games later, only to find her own momentum brought to a halt by the umpire suspending play because of rain.

With Morigami very much in the ascendancy, leading 4-1 and with her serve to follow, the prospect of a three-setter is well on the cards.

Written by Henry Wancke

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Venus Williams
Akiko Morigami

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