Venus Williams and Katie Boulter make the perfect pair following first round fightback at Madrid Open
The US tennis star may have scored herself an invite to doubles partner Katie Boulter’s wedding.
Venus Williams claimed her first victory since the US Open alongside her doubles' partner Katy Boulter, as the pair staged a dramatic fightback at the Madrid Open.
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Williams accepted British star Boulter’s request to play together at the European tournament, with the scratch pairing securing a win against China’s Jiang Xinyu and Xu Yifan.
The opening round match saw the doubles pairing return from a set down, securing a 4-6 6-3 (10/7) win in the opening round.
Williams, 45, is on a 10-match losing streak in singles after falling again in the first round here, while she had not won a doubles match since reaching the quarter-finals of the US Open with Leylah Fernandez last summer.
The pair clearly enjoyed the experience, with Williams saying: “You never know what’s going to happen when you play with a new person.
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“It’s not like you get to practise weeks before, you get to practise 30 minutes before and then you are just put right in.
“We had a great energy out there and I think it can only get better because now we’ve gone past the first hurdle, we’ve played together so now we know each other, and it’s also building trust.”
Boulter added: “It was great, it was so much fun. Obviously just to have the privilege of being on court and also being on the same side of the net – I don’t want to be on the other side of the net.
“It was really nice to get the chance to play with Venus and I enjoyed every minute of it.”
It is a big year on and off court for Boulter, with her wedding to fellow player Alex De Minaur fast approaching.
Williams married Italian actor and model Andrea Preti late last year in a lavish affair in Italy and Florida, and she is happy to give Boulter the wisdom of her experience.
“I don’t know if she’s taking my advice,” said Williams. “I hope she does. My only tip for her is to take your time, you don’t get that moment back and you’ve just got to enjoy it fully and take some days off.
“It was the time of my life. I’m still in withdrawal. It was the best time. I waited a while so that made it even more rewarding to get there in a later stage in life. You get to where you’re supposed to be when you’re supposed to be there.”
Boulter joked she would give Williams De Minaur’s number, adding when asked if Williams had secured an invite: “You never know – she’s coming!”
“I’m so fun, so get ready,” laughed Williams in reply.
Juggling wedding preparation and a hectic tour schedule has proved challenging for De Minaur and Boulter, who said: “It’s interesting.
“I haven’t had much free time to myself but luckily I’ve got a lot of great people around me helping me. I think we’ve done the majority of it and now it’s just about turning up and the small finer details.
“But I’ve come to the conclusion, no matter what happens, good, bad, anything, it’s going to be the best day of my life and I can’t wait.”
Williams also has off-court duties to attend to, with the former world number one unable to play in the Italian Open in Rome next month because she is co-chairing the Met Gala in New York alongside Beyonce, Nicole Kidman and Anna Wintour
“My husband and I are gutted but, once you get that opportunity, you’ve got to take it, so I’m going to trade the racket in that week,” said Williams