Triumphant Venus confident despite slump

NEW YORK CITY, New York: Venus Williams, nagged by lower-back woes and with only one win since early April, ousted 12th seed Kirsten Flipkens on Monday to reach the second round of the US Open.

The 33-year-old American, the oldest player remaining in the women's field, dispatched the Wimbledon semi-finalist 6-1, 6-2 in just 84 minutes, avenging a loss to the Belgian earlier this month at Toronto.

Williams, now 15-0 in US Open first-round matches, advanced to a second-round date with China's Zheng Jie at the year's final Grand Slam event after missing Wimbledon with lower back pain and making a first-round exit at the French Open.

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Williams, who has slid to 60th in the rankings, has not made it past the fourth round of a major event since reaching the 2010 US Open semi-finals.

Losing to Flipkens three weeks ago inspired Williams, in her 60th major tournament, to emphasize improving her serve in US Open training.

Williams, who suffering with a fatigue-causing disease called Sjogren's syndrome, has adopted a vegan diet to fight the disorder's effects, although she confessed some lapses in dietary discipline.

Williams, who could face world number one and younger sister Serena Williams in the US Open quarter-finals, said that the best advice she has received in her career came from Serena, though she would not say what it was. (AFP)