Tennis: Venus battles into quarterfinals

Eighth seed Venus Williams battled into the Australian Open tennis quarterfinals with a 6-4 6-4 victory over talented Polish qualifier Marta Domachowska here today.

The Wimbledon champion, who had her right thigh strapped, recovered from an early break down to win the first set and staved off a late fightback from the Pole to line up a clash with fourth seed Ana Ivanovic.

World No 146 Domachowska, in the last 16 of a grand slam event for the first time, broke Williams on her way to a 3-1 lead but the American won five of the next six games to take the set.

Williams squandered a match point when she was broken serving for the match at 5-3 but she broke Domachowska again to clinch victory after 79 minutes.

- REUTERS