Two-time champion Venus Williams has come from a set down to beat Japan's Kimiko Date-Krumm 2-6 6-3 6-3 in the first round at the US Open.
The 19th seed struggled to match the pace of her 43-year-old opponent at the start of the first set as Date-Krumm raced to a commanding lead, taking just 32 minutes to secure the set.
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Williams secured her first break of the match early in the second as she sought to get back on level terms in the match, sending it into a deciding set.
The American seemed to be heading into the second round when she secured a double break, but Date-Krumm broke back as Williams was serving for the match.
However, Williams dug deep in the next game to wrap up the match on the Japanese player's serve, setting up a meeting with either Kiki Bertens and Timea Bacsinszky in the next round.
Sian Cowper
