AP, Wuhan :
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams crashed out of the $2.4 million WTA Wuhan Open in the first round Sunday in a nail-biting three-set defeat to French player Caroline Garcia.
Garcia took the first set 6-4, only to suffer a 6-4 reverse in the second before clinching victory in more than two-and-a-half hours, in a tie-break which finished 8/6.
She will now face Polish fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the second round.
Williams, 34, arrived in Wuhan after losing the Quebec City tournament final to Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic-Baroni last Sunday.
Elsewhere in the tournament, home favourite Xu Shilin was forced to retire from her match with American Alison Riske in the third set with the scores at 6-6.
