Day or Night Venus shines

At the third attempt the women finally had first use of Rod Laver Arena for the night session.  The fact that a Williams sister was competing may well have had much to do with the decision, but irrespective, France's Alize Cornet would soon know her fate - i.e. how many games would she have conceded to her by the number 25 seed? 

If the opening stanza was any guide Venus could be in for a rough night and it might even be sets dropped to Cornet for the first time ever in their ? meetings.  The health of the Williams game has as a reliable barometer the first serve, and in contrast to her first round match it was ordinary at best, and the total output average.  Average Venus gives players such as Alize opportunities and the very first of these arrived in the second game of the match as the French number one broke serve to lead 2-0.  No wonderful tennis to applaud to this point, just some methodical consistent efforts by Cornet against an erratic Williams.

False sense of security as Venus struck back immediately to put some runs on the board and hold her next serve for 2-2.  Both players had settled and knowing that we had paid good money decided to produce more watchable rallies for our benefit.  The accuracy that Venus enjoyed against Voskoboeva was not as evident though and I understand she is demanding an official re measurement of the court on Rod Laver Arena, believing it to be smaller in playing area to Hisense from 2 days before.

Although the Williams second serve is susceptible to some harsh treatment at times, tonight Alize could not take sufficient toll when given the chance.  Alize remained competitive so long as she kept her mistakes tally down but once she lost this advantage the Venus game proved just too powerful to contain.
2 key moments virtually decided the first set - a forehand error in the fifth game to cost the French girl her serve and another mistake from the same side in the sixth game preventing a break of the Venus serve. 
Venus cruised from there to lead 5-2 and a loose game from Alize capped off with a double fault officially meant that Set 1 was awarded to the older of the sisters.

Cornet left the disappointment behind her as it was excess to her baggage weight maximum, and although she could not hurt Venus with any clean winners of note, she did worry the 7 time Grand Slam title winner and at 1-1 Venus face 3 break points.  None of these were able to be converted but at 2-2 and the next break point opportunity Venus could not resist the impulse to stuff up a ground stroke. 
Cornet and the crowd wanted a third set but a certain resident of Florida would have none of that.  Some fine shots in the sixth game notably the one on break point to level at 3-3 exemplified the capacity of top players to turn it on when required.

The gap between the two players while always 12cm, showed its true length in terms of tennis prowess in the final phase of the match where the Venus forehand and most other bits came together as they should have earlier to knock out the final French resistance.

6-3 6-3 and a meeting with Maria Sharapova in a third round tall tale but true.