PARIS (AP)—Venus Williams took the French Open stage dressed for a Paris production she hopes will run a full two weeks.
Wearing a lacy black “Can-Can” corset with spaghetti straps and red trim, Williams choreographed a 6-3, 6-3 victory over longtime foil Patty Schnyder in the opening round Sunday.
The outfit will be tough to top in the fashion department, and Williams may be difficult to defeat on the scoreboard.
Her 27-4 record this year is the best on the women’s tour. Last week Williams climbed for the first time since 2003 to second in the rankings, trailing only younger sister Serena.
“It feels good to be moving up the ranks,” Venus said.
Defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova joined Williams in the second round, while 2009 quarterfinalist Victoria Azarenka was eliminated. Winners on the men’s side included Robin Soderling, hoping to mount another run at Roland Garros after upsetting four-time champion Rafael Nadal in the fourth round last year.
There were whistles and catcalls from the crowd when Williams removed her warmups to reveal the corset she designed. It’s similar to an outfit she debuted at Key Biscayne in March.
