Man oh man, I'm drained.
After 2 1/2 hours Venus is through to week 2. Her nobody-knows-her opponent Camilia Giorgi is ranked 33 and 23 years old.
We're told she's never won a tournament, sleepwalks through the minor tourneys, but comes alive on big stages.
Boy did she ever. The announcers call her hot and cold, and, man, did she ever bring the heat.
We don't see Venus forced to play behind the baseline. but that's what Camila constantly forced with strokes harder than Venus hits.
It took too long for Venus to step back also on her opponent's 1st serve. Giorgi doesn't give you much on the 2nd serve, which is why she had 15 double faults.
Venus did break her once in set one, but lost her service twice for a 6-4 deficit.
Things continued similarly in set 2, as our hero looked up to see she was behing 3-5. That can't look good.
But predictions held, as Camilia turned on the cold spigot and lost in the tie breaker 7-3.
Now Venus jumps to a 2-0 lead, when Giorgi adjust hot and cold into an 11-deuce game-- serve, unforced error,
magnificent angle shot etc., double fault, ad infinitum, and finally won it.
But it was the last game she would take.
In her brief interview the elder Williams seemed to say that she has come out of the match not spent, feeling OK.
Now she faces her first genuine heavyweight in 6th seeded A. Radwonska, who must be very hungry for a major, having come close berfore.
The last time they played, Venus lost. Radwonska doesn't give you hot and cold. She's steady, great retriever, clean striker.
Venus won't have to handle the same power she faced today, but needs to be prepared for wiliness.