CINCINNATI, OH, USA – Venus Williams showcased her tactical craft, determination and skill to overcome Donna Vekic and move through to the quarterfinals of the Western & Southern Open for the first time since 2012 with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory.

Supported by the stands by sister Serena as well as a boisterous crowd, Venus took her career record against the Croat to 2-0, adding to a victory chalked up at Wimbledon 2016, with a 124-minute success.

Although there were signs of rust following her marathon victory over defending champion Kiki Bertens as she lost the first set, the 39-year-old stormed back in the second thanks to some shrewd tactical adjustments then closed out the decider. 

Neither player hit their heights in the opening set, though Vekic was the more consistent of the pair, making just seven unforced errors to the 18 that arrived from the other end of the court. The WTA World No.26 was persistently able to make inroads into her opponent’s serve and sped into the lead as she won five games in succession after falling 2-1 behind.