Publications
Partners
New York - Two-time champion Venus Williams, the second oldest woman in the US Open, defeated Kimiko Date Krumm, the tournament's leading senior citizen, to make the second round on Monday, overcoming bee attacks in the process.
Williams, the 34-year-old champion of 2000 and 2001, won 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 against her Japanese opponent who will be 44 in September.
Seventy-two women in the main draw this year weren't even born when Date Krumm made her New York debut back in 1989.
But she made a mockery of her age as she glided through the opening set against a player she had lost to in all of their three previous meetings.
Gradually, though, the crushing 30-degree heat and the trapped humidity inside the cavernous Arthur Ashe Stadium took its toll.
Date Krumm was also not helped by a bee attack midway through the first set which halted her mid-stride and was only dealt with by the swift intervention of the ballboys as the Japanese star attempted to shrug it off before being reduced to fits of laughter.
In contrast, Williams effortlessly chopped away at the bee when the insect returned in the decider, where she raced to a 5-0 lead.
Date Krumm gallantly chipped away at the deficit but wilted under the American's barrage with the tie wrapped up in just a shade over two hours when Date Krumm netted a weary backhand.
"Well, the bee was a challenge but Kimiko was the greater challenge of course. She has such great timing and you can never settle into a rhythm," said Williams after a match which featured 13 breaks of serve.
Williams, the 19th seed, goes on to next face either Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands or Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky.
Men
1st rd
Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 6-1, 6-2, 6-4
Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) bt Gilles Muller (LUX) 6-7 (7/9), 7-5, 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 (5/7), 6-1
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x22) bt Facundo Bagnis (ARG) 6-2, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3
Michael Llodra (FRA) bt Daniel Gimeno (ESP) 6-4, 6-3, 7-5
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x9) bt Juan Monaco (ARG) 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-1
Aleksandr Nedovyesov (KAZ) bt James McGee (IRL) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (7/3)
Pablo Carreno-Busta (ESP) bt Andreas Beck (GER) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/0)
Benoit Paire (FRA) bt Julien Benneteau (FRA x24) 7-6 (7/4), 5-7, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
Fernando Verdasco (ESP x31) bt Blaz Rola (SLO) 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 1-6, 6-4
Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) bt Bradley Klahn (USA) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
Matthias Bachinger (GER) bt Radek Stepanek (CZE) 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
Andy Murray (GBR x8) bt Robin Haase (NED) 6-3, 7-6 (8/6), 1-6, 7-5
Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI x3) bt Jiri Vesely (CZE) 6-2, 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/3)
Thomaz Belluci (BRA) bt Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-1
Blaz Kavcic (SLO) bt Donald Young (USA) 7-5, 6-4, 6-4
Jeremy Chardy (FRA x30) bt Alejandro Falla (COL) 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 7-5, 6-4
Nick Kyrgios (AUS) bt Mikhail Youzhny (RUS x21) 7-5, 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 7-6 (7/1)
Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) 6-3, 6-1, 6-4
Simone Bolelli (ITA) bt Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
Tommy Robredo (ESP x16) bt Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
Matthew Ebden (AUS) bt Tobias Kamke (GER) 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7/2)
Leonardo Mayer (ARG x23) bt Albert Montanes (ESP) 6-2, 3-0 - retired
Peter Gojowczyk (GER) bt Benjamin Becker (GER) 6-2, 6-4, 6-2
Milos Raonic (CAN x5) bt Taro Daniel (JPN) 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7/1)
Women
1st rd
Angelique Kerber (GER x6) bt Ksenia Pervak (RUS) 6-2, 3-6, 7-5
Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) bt Duan Ying-Ying (CHN) 2-6, 6-2, 6-4
Belinda Bencic (SUI) bt Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 6-3, 6-2
Kurumi Nara (JPN x31) bt Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) 6-2, 6-1
Sloane Stephens (USA x21) bt Annika Beck (GER) 6-0, 6-3
Johanna Larsson (SWE) bt Virginie Razzano (FRA) 6-0, 6-0
Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) bt Karin Knapp (ITA) 6-4, 6-3
Jelena Jankovic (SRB x9) bt Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) 6-2, 6-3
Lucie Safarova (CZE x14) bt Timea Babos (HUN) 6-4, 7-5
Zheng Saisai (CHN) bt Stefanie Voegele (SUI) 1-6, 6-2, 6-2
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) bt Romina Oprandi (SUI) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
Alize Cornet (FRA x22) bt Amandine Hesse (FRA) 6-1, 6-2
Roberta Vinci (ITA x28) bt Paula Ormaechea (ARG) 6-3, 6-3
Irina Begu (ROM) bt Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3
Peng Shuai (CHN) bt Zheng Jie (CHN) 6-3, 6-3
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x4) bt Sharon Fichman (CAN) 6-1, 6-0
Maria Sharapova (RUS x5) bt Maria Kirilenko (RUS) 6-4, 6-0
Alexandra Dulgheru (ROM) bt Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) 6-3, 6-4
Madison Brengle (USA) bt Julia Glushko (ISR) 6-3, 6-2
Sabine Lisicki (GER x26) bt Francoise Abanda (CAN) 6-3, 7-5
Andrea Petkovic (GER x18) bt Ons Jabeur (TUN) 7-6 (9/7), 1-6, 6-3
Monica Puig (PUR) bt Tereza Smitkova (CZE) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) bt Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) 6-4, 6-3
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x10) bt Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 6-1, 3-6, 2-0 retired
Sara Errani (ITA x13) bt Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 6-1, 7-5
Anastasia Rodionova (AUS) bt Camila Giorgi (ITA) 1-6, 7-5, 6-3
Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) bt Kiki Bertens (NED) 6-7 (7/9), 4-3 retired
Venus Williams (USA x19) bt Kimiko Date Krumm (JPN) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) bt Garbine Muguruza (ESP x25) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)
Shahar Peer (ISR) bt Johanna Konta (GBR) 6-2, 6-3
Jana Cepelova (SVK) bt Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor (ESP) 2-6, 7-5, 6-1
Simona Halep (ROM x2) bt Danielle Collins (USA) 6-7 (2/7), 6-1, 6-2
