Venus Williams was eliminated in the first round of the National Bank Open in Toronto on Sunday, losing 6-4, 6-1 to Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova in a rain-delayed match that opened the tournament's women's main draw.
Rakhimova won nine of the last ten games of the match to pull away after a competitive opening set, closing out the contest in straight sets against the 46-year-old Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion who has continued competing on the WTA Tour well beyond the age at which most of her peers have retired. The match was delayed by rain before getting underway, part of a weather-disrupted opening weekend across multiple WTA events in North America.
For Rakhimova, the win offers a notable result on her resume against one of the sport's most recognizable names, coming during her first season representing Uzbekistan on tour after previously competing for Russia. The straight-sets victory advances her into the second round of the hard-court tournament as part of the National Bank Open's build-up to the US Open later this month.
Williams's continued presence on tour, more than two decades after her first major title, has remained a storyline followed closely by fans regardless of results, and Sunday's loss extends a difficult recent stretch for the American as she continues to balance limited tournament appearances with occasional deep runs. Her participation in Toronto had been viewed as a chance to test her form on North America's hard courts ahead of the US Open, where she has a long and decorated history.
The National Bank Open continues through the week in Toronto, with the rest of the women's draw playing out around the tournament's marquee names as the event builds toward its later rounds. Rakhimova's next opponent had not been confirmed following Sunday's win, with the second round set to be scheduled in the coming days as the tournament progresses toward its climax later this week.
