Venus Williams isn't going away quietly. She proved that Friday by winning a challenging third-round match at the U.S. Open.
With sister Serena scheduled for an evening match, Venus made a statement in a 6-3, 6-4 victory in Arthur Ashe Stadium. As the 23rd seed, she knocked out No. 13 Belinda Bencic, who recently beat Serena.
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Meanwhile, No. 13 Ekaterina Makarova eliminated 17th-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6-3, 7-5. In a disappointment for American fans, Madison Brengle lost to Estonia's Anett Kontaveit 6-2 3-6 6-0. Canada's Eugenie Bouchard was under way against Dominika Cibulkova and No. 19 Madison Keys of the U.S. faced No. 15 Agnieszka Radwanska.
Serena's prime-time opponent was Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
Artistry by #Venus. #usopen @Chase http://t.co/1zjfmm5Ne3
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 4, 2015#Bouchard overcomes multiple set points to take first against #Cibulkova 7-6. #Armstrong pic.twitter.com/fP2ealbXzm
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 4, 2015It wasn't easy; Williams struggled midway through her match before winning the final five games.
As I she needed a reminder that she was 35 years old, Williams was asked about her first Open final in 1997 — when Bencic was six months old.
"Why do you have to bring all that stuff up? It makes me feel old," Venus said, chuckling during her on-court interview. "I love the game. I love the U.S. Open. I love how everyone got behind me, even when I was down. It's a wonderful feeling."
Of her young opponent, Williams said: "She's tenacious, and I'm really pleased to have played a match against someone who's had a great summer."
Third-round play will continue on Saturday. Track matches on Sporting News' scoreboard. All times are ET.