Five-time champion Venus Williams fought off tenacious challenge from debutante Elise Mertens of Belgium to win her first-round match at Wimbledon here on Monday.
The 37-year-old Williams took one hour and 40 minutes to win 7-6 (7), 6-4. The former World No.1 will next play China's World No.55 Wang Qiang, reports Xinhua news agency.
The match was interrupted by rain when Venus led 5-3 in the second set. Mertens, 20, managed to hold her serve to put it 4-5 before Williams served for the victory.
--IANS
sam/gau/vt
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