Those Australian victories somehow seem to lead to a string of injuries or boredom that knocks Williams, one of the all-time greats, off her game.

WSJ: Why Everyone Wants Serena to Win

Mathies was coming off the worst game of her career where she didn't hit a field goal in the first round win over Navy.

WSJ: Mathies and Kentucky women beat Dayton 84-70

Referee Amy Rayner called the game off after arriving from her Leicestershire home in mid-morning to find the pitch still covered in snow.

BBC: York City upset by late Grays postponement

Fourth seed Williams breezed through the opening set in just 37 minutes after losing her first service game, and showed no signs of rustiness after her lay-off.

CNN: Venus brushes aside Schnyder in Rome

Jennifer Jason Leigh, in one of her more somnambulant moods, plays an interactive-game designer named Allegra, who is attacked while showing off her new creation, eXistenZ.

NEWYORKER: Existenz

To show off the game, Bach brought a young girl named "Sparrow" on stage to demo her most recent creation.

FORBES: Magazine Article

"She cleaned up her game a little bit and didn't make so many unforced errors, and my level dropped off a little bit as well, " said Davenport.

BBC: Venus outclasses Davenport