News Americas, FLUSHING, NY, Weds. Aug. 28, 2013: A 30-year-old Chinese national has knocked Venus Williams out of the 2013 U.S. Open.
Zheng Jie earned a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (5) victory after playing in the rain when every other match on the grounds of the Billie Jean King Tennis Center had stopped.
Her tiebreaker sealed the victory and sent Williams, 33, who has been suffering from back issues, packing and Jie on to the second-round of the Open.
But even then she apologized. “I’m sorry,” she said to the pro-Williams crowd.
As for Williams she refused to talk about retirement. “If I didn’t think I had anything left in the tank I wouldn’t be here,” Williams said about when she might retire. “I still think I do and that’s why I’m still here.”
Zheng is ranked World No. 56 in singles and World No. 23 in doubles and is the 3rd ranked Chinese player.
