Venus Williams thumped out of Olympics in singles

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 7 (UPI) - No. 62 was superior to No. 6 Saturday as American Venus Williams tumbled to Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens.

The 6th positioned Williams lost the opening singles match in Rio de Janeiro 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, (7-5) in a three-hour radiator. Flipkens, positioned No. 62 on the planet, now confronts Czech Lucie Safarova in second round activity.



Williams, 36, won gold in singles in the 2000 Sydney Summer Diversions. She has three Olympic gold awards in duplicates, with sister Serena Williams. The Williams sisters face Safarova and Barbora Strycova Sunday in duplicates activity.

"I've never played the Olympics so it was at that point a fantasy working out for me to come here," Flipkens told CNN.

"I fit the bill for it, I worked a year for this, not to get award but rather just to qualify and come here, yet then to beat Venus Williams, one of the greatest champions in our history, on focus court, gives me the shivers everywhere."

Yippee Sports reported that Williams is as yet managing an infection that she got a week ago at the WTA Competition in Montreal. The site reported that the infection has left Williams "not doing so great physically."

"Tragically, Venus has been debilitated for a couple days, is truly sick right now," U.S. Encouraged Container commander Mary Joe Fernandez told Hurray Sports. "She attempted to get past that match – just about got to the completion line. In any case, she's been got dried out, with a few issues, irritated stomach. You most likely could see on the court she's hacking a lot."

"A touch of misfortune and terrible planning that everything met up at this crossroads for her. In any case, she battled. She gave it her best out there."

Still Fernandez told ESPN that Williams ought to play in the copies occasion, in spite of her ailment.

"I'd be exceedingly amazed if Venus didn't play, since it's been her objective throughout the previous four years," Fernandez told ESPN. "She's truly sick right at this point. She's got dried out. She contended so energetically today evening time, it's equitable too terrible she couldn't figure out how to get to the completion line. Regardless she handling this, obviously it will disillusion. She's been such a staggering champion, to win such a variety of decorations. Be that as it may, ideally she can recuperate in time and get another here [with Serena]."

Williams has Sjogren's disorder, an immune system malady that causes weakness

US fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad prepares to compete wearing hijab

Ibtihaj Muhammad is set to leave a mark on the world Monday when she turns into the primary US competitor to contend - in the ladies' individual and group saber fencing occasions - wearing a hijab.

Among her most unmistakable fans are President Barack Obama and First Woman Michelle Obama, both of whom have refered to the young lady as an image of America's assortment of societies and religions.

For the 30-year-old Muhammad, this is just her first endeavor at Olympic radiance after her mistake from four years back when a hand damage kept her from contending in London.

She gets a lot of inquiries concerning the hijab, she yielded in comments to the New York Times. The hijab, worn underneath her fencing veil is not a prevention in her game, she demands.

"I get got some information about it a great deal," she said. "Individuals get some information about it - not simply competitors - constantly. Like, aren't you hot? On a hot day, despite everything you'd wear a shirt and jeans. I would not go out without it."

Muhammad is right now positioned eighth on the planet by the worldwide fencing affiliation FIE, so she is viewed as a potential most loved for one of the individual occasion's three awards. With the group the award chances are moreover solid, with the US group that included Muhammad winning the big showdown in 2014.