By Erik Gudris | Friday, January 23, 2015

 

Venus Williams battled back against Camila Giorgi to reach the second week of Melbourne for the first time since 2010.

Photo Credit: Corleve

Venus Williams found herself way down in the second set of her third round match at the Australian Open. But she relied on her experience to pull through in three sets.

When asked how she did it, Williams simply replied, "Well this old cat has a few tricks still left."

The 34-year-old Williams faced off for the first time against Italy's Camila Giorgi. Despite their age difference, both women play a similar game of hitting big while hugging the baseline. For most of the first set, it was Giorgi who took control.

As Giorgi won the majority of quick-fire rallies, Williams struggled to hit past or through the Italian. Giorgi wavered a few times while serving for the set, but closed it out with a potent body serve for 6-4.

Giorgi continued playing calm yet blistering tennis that often left the No. 18 seed Williams frustrated. The Italian found herself serving for the match up 5-4. But that's when Williams made her move.

Williams with aggressive returning broke Giorgi at love to level the set. Soon, a tiebreak was needed with Williams coming up with winners on key points to take the set and force a decider.

Giorgi, already down an early break in the third, clawed out of a 15-minute multiple deuce game to keep in touch at 1-2. Yet by now Williams was used to Giorgi's pace and connected on more winners than she did at the start of the match. Williams also kept her unforced errors to a minimum hitting only four compared to over 21 from Giorgi in the final set.

Williams, never looking back, ran away with it completing a satisfying 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-1 victory. That puts her into the second week of a major for the first time since Wimbledon in 2011. Williams hasn't been back to the last sixteen of Melbourne since 2010.

The key stat - Giorgi racked up 62 unforced errors in total to just 35 from Williams.

Now Williams finds herself facing No. 6 seed Agnieszka Radwanska for a spot in the final eight. Radwanska knocked out No. 30 seed Varvara Lepchenko earlier 6-0, 7-5.