Women's first-round result

V WILLIAMS (US) v YAN ZI (Chn)

6-2 7-5

606: DEBATE Your thoughts on the action

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By Caroline Cheese

Venus 6-2 7-5 Yan Zi
A determined Venus eventually comes through as Yan sticks a backhand in the net but that was no walk in the park.

Venus 6-2 6-5 Yan Zi
Yan plays a very poor drop shot at 30-15 down which Venus gleefully hammers down the line and a brutal serve wraps up the game. I think she's back now. I think.

Venus 6-2 5-5 Yan Zi
Yan's really loving this now. She powers a backhand crosscourt and Venus's long legs can't get there. We're level. Never thought I'd be typing that.

Venus 6-2 5-4 Yan Zi
Venus shakes her head and well might she. What an awful, awful game. Two double-faults, two errors. Broken to love. Some of you have texted in to ask about the red button coverage on Freeview. I can tell you it was down for crucial engineering work but should now have returned. Apologies.

Venus 6-2 5-3 Yan Zi
Ah, there goes my prediction then. Still, I'm pleased for Yan, who's put up a decent fight out here. It's been a good work-out for Venus.

Venus 6-2 5-2 Yan Zi
Venus gets the volley right this time to hold serve easily.

Venus 6-2 4-2 Yan Zi
0-40 and Venus steps into the net to put away a drive volley... but it's in the net. Mum Oracene has a little laugh about that. Venus merely fires a backhand winner on the next point.

"Venus is looking in awesome form, however - being Venus - she could turn out in the next round and play shambolically!!!"
sauceball1703 on 606

Venus 6-2 3-2 Yan Zi
Venus's serve suddenly deserts her with a double fault and then the wildest first serve you're likely to see this tournament. She's 40-0 up when all that happens though and it fails to stop the momentum. I'm telling you: six in a row.

Venus 6-2 2-2 Yan Zi
BBC Sport commentator Sam Smith tells us a horrifying story about how something fell on her earlier today. She thought it was a snake! It wasn't though. It was a strip of rubber. Yan's still making life difficult for Venus by mixing up the pace but after three deuces, V breaks back.

Venus 6-2 1-2 Yan Zi
Venus back on track. I reckon she's going to get six games in a row now. Let's see shall we?

Venus 6-2 0-2 Yan Zi
Venus has a word with herself and slaps her thigh as the errors continue to fly. Yan's not doing much here. It's all about Miss V. This is all good news for chacor on 606 who's racing to get home in time to watch Fed in action after this match.

Venus 6-2 0-1 Yan Zi
Venus takes her foot off the gas momentarily. Forehands flying about all over the place and then a wild volley to finish. Yan breaks.

First set

Venus 6-2 Yan Zi
Venus is the greatest athlete in women's tennis. Fact. She gallops up to net, stretches for the volley and puts it away to make it 30-30. So easy. It's not long before she has first set point - thanks to a rather fortunate backhand on to back of the baseline - and the set comes to a rather disappointing end when Yan DFs.

Venus 5-2 Yan Zi
Venus cranks up the power on serve and I don't think it will be long before she's out of here.

Venus 4-2 Yan Zi
Listed in Yan's official WTA bio among the things she admires is "Jimmy Connors's sense of humour". Now if I were to list the 10 things I love about Jimbo I'm pretty sure his sense of humour would not be there. Venus's power from the baseline finally tells and she's a break to the good.

Venus 3-2 Yan Zi
An ace and a double fault in the game. A typical mixed bag from Venus. Meanwhile, Marat Safin is through in the men's draw - and he'll play Marcos Baghdatis next.

Venus 2-2 Yan Zi
Remember those shorts that Venus wore at Wimbledon? The ones that gave new meaning to the word short? She's got 'em out again for the Aussie Open. She designed them herself you know... which surely can't have taken very long. The American is trying to pressure Yan's serve but too many errors at the mo.

Venus 2-1 Yan Zi
I spoke too soon about Venus being on her game. Two doubles in a row and a wild error leave her facing two break points. Both saved but that's an early warning for the American.

Venus 1-1 Yan Zi
Yan already looks in a bit of bother as a mis-hit forehand makes it 30-30 but some confident groundstrokes get her out of trouble.

Venus 1-0 Yan Zi
I can tell you something else about Yan Zi. She's double-handed on both sides - which always fills me with dread. Venus begins with a vicious forehand down the line and seems to be on her game from the off.

0848: Alright, Venus to serve... Ready? Play...

0845: What can I tell you about Yan Zi? She's 23, she lives in Cheng Du and she is very, very good at doubles. She and Zheng Jie have won two Grand Slam titles - including the Oz Open.

0840: Venus Williams, who's got a new 'do' for her trip down under, is seeking her first Australian Open title and indeed her first win in Melbourne since 2005.