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Serena Williams wins Rio opener; 1st match since Wimbledon

Serena Williams, of the United States, yells after winning a point at the net during the second set of her match against Daria Gavrilova, of Australia, at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016. Williams defeated Gavrilova. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Serena Williams, of the United States, yells after winning a point at the net during the second set of her match against Daria Gavrilova, of Australia, at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016. Williams defeated Gavrilova. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

By Associated Press 3 min read

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – Perhaps it was the 25 mph winds. Or the slower-than-expected hard courts. Or maybe simply that Serena Williams hadn’t played a match in a month.

Whatever the cause, Williams opened defense of her Olympic singles gold medal with a patchy-at-times 6-4, 6-2 victory over Australia’s Daria Gavrilova on Sunday, gesturing or yelling at herself as she often does when not all goes her way.

“I’m always frustrated on the court if it’s not perfect,” the American said.

Williams had not competed since collecting her Open-era record-tying 22nd Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. She’s now won 19 of her past 20 matches.

Seeded No. 1 at the Rio de Janeiro Games, Williams was hardly at her best in the 91-minute contest against Gavrilova, who is ranked 46th and only once has been past the second round at a major tournament.