(Reuters) -Venus Williams enjoyed a winning return to tennis after more than a year away from the game as the 45-year-old American teamed up with compatriot Hailey Baptiste to win their round of 16 women’s doubles tie at the Washington Open on Monday.
The seven-times Grand Slam singles champion had not played a competitive match in 16 months, with her last appearance on the WTA Tour coming at the Miami Open in March last year.
Williams and Baptiste beat Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue 6-3 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals in Washington, and the former world number one said if felt “inspiring” to be back on court.
“It wasn’t easy for us but we brought it together quickly as a team. I love this game and still hitting it big,” Williams told Sky Sports.
Williams enjoyed playing with 23-year-old Baptiste so much she joked that she should have teamed up with her years ago instead of playing with her younger sister Serena, who she won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with.
“I could see that we were going to be a good team. We just should have started playing earlier, years ago, right?” she said. “I think Serena was just in the way.”
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Goa; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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