Hobart International: Venus Williams eliminated in first round ahead of Australian Open

By : AFP

Date: 13 January 2026 10:48am WAT

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US Venus Williams attempts to return the ball to Switzerland's Celine Naef during their women's singles match on day two of the Libema Open tennis tournament in Rosmalen on June 13, 2023. (Photo by Sander Koning / ANP / AFP) / Netherlands OUT / NETHERLANDS OUT

US Venus Williams attempts to return the ball to Switzerland's Celine Naef during their women's singles match on day two of the Libema Open tennis tournament in Rosmalen on June 13, 2023. (Photo by Sander Koning / ANP / AFP) / Netherlands OUT / NETHERLANDS OUT

Venus Williams’ preparations for the Australian Open suffered a setback on Tuesday after she was eliminated in the first round of the Hobart International by Germany’s Tatjana Maria.

Williams, 45, lost 6-4, 6-3 in 87 minutes to the world number 42 in what was a rare meeting between two of the tour’s most experienced players.

The match marked the first time the pair had faced each other and set a record for the highest combined age for a women’s main draw match since the WTA Tour was established in 1973.

The defeat followed Williams’ first-round exit at last week’s Auckland Classic, making it the second successive tournament in which the seven-time Grand Slam champion has been knocked out at the opening stage.

Against Maria, the American showed resistance, saving six of nine break points, but was unable to shift the momentum in windy conditions.

Maria, 38, said the occasion carried personal significance, noting that her children were supporters of Williams. “Everybody loves Venus. I love her too,” Maria said.

“For me, to play her was such an honour because I never played her before. It was not easy with all the wind but it was amazing.”

The German, who last year became the oldest WTA Tour singles champion since Serena Williams in 2020 with her title at Queen’s Club in London, advances to a last-16 meeting with Hungary’s Anna Bondar.

Williams will now turn her attention to Melbourne, where she is due to compete at the Australian Open after receiving a wildcard. It will be her first appearance at the tournament in five years. Having played only sporadically in recent seasons, she is set to become the oldest woman to compete at the opening Grand Slam of the year when the tournament begins on Sunday.

Elsewhere in Hobart, Czech player Barbora Krejcikova also exited in the first round. The former world number two, now ranked 55, lost 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7/4) to American Peyton Stearns after requiring treatment and strapping on her knee during the match.

Krejcikova, who ended last season early because of a knee injury, had returned to competition at the United Cup last week, where she won two of her three matches. A former French Open champion in 2021 and Wimbledon winner in 2024, she missed last year’s Australian Open because of a back injury.

Stearns will face Serbia’s Olga Danilovic in the next round after Danilovic defeated defending champion McCartney Kessler of the United States in three sets.

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