From the news wires

Venus Williams wins first-round match at Wimbledon

Venus Williams knocked off Rossana de los Rios in first-round action at Wimbledon.

NEWSCOM

Venus Williams of the United States returns a shot during her first round women's singles match against Rossana De Los Rios of Paraguay in the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, in London, UK, June 21, 2010.

By AP

June 22, 2010 | Wimbledon, England

Five-time champion Venus Williams has reached the second round at Wimbledon with a straight-sets victory over Rossana de los Rios of Paraguay.

The second-seeded Williams beat the 91st-ranked de los Rios 6-3, 6-2 on Monday to improve to 47-3 for her career in opening matches at Grand Slam tournaments.

The American, who turned 30 last week, took a 5-0 lead in each set before letting up slightly. She hit six aces and compiled a 31-4 edge in total winners against the 34-year-old de los Rios.

Williams has played in eight of the past 10 Wimbledon finals, winning the championship in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008. She lost to her sister Serena in last year's final.

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