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Venus Williams Loses at Indian Wells. Naomi Osaka Advances

Venus Williams of the US leaves the court after losing to Nao Hibino of Japan during the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 07, 2024 in Indian Wells, California. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP
Venus Williams of the US leaves the court after losing to Nao Hibino of Japan during the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 07, 2024 in Indian Wells, California. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP
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Venus Williams Loses at Indian Wells. Naomi Osaka Advances

Venus Williams of the US leaves the court after losing to Nao Hibino of Japan during the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 07, 2024 in Indian Wells, California. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP
Venus Williams of the US leaves the court after losing to Nao Hibino of Japan during the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 07, 2024 in Indian Wells, California. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP

Venus Williams played a match on tour for the first time in about six months on Thursday, and the 43-year-old owner of seven Grand Slam titles gave away the lead and the last 10 games in a 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 loss to qualifier Nao Hibino at the BNP Paribas Open.
Williams hadn't competed anywhere since a first-round exit at the US Open on Aug. 29. That 6-1, 6-1 defeat against Greet Minnen was the American's most lopsided loss in 100 career matches at the major tournament she won in 2000 and 2001.
When Thursday's defeat ended with Williams getting broken for the seventh time in 12 service games, she walked to the net to congratulate Hibino, then left the court with a smile and a wave as much of the sparse crowd stood to applaud, The Associated Press reported.
Williams, once ranked No. 1 and now outside the top 450, won her most recent Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2008 and has played sparingly in recent years, in part because of injuries. Her most recent appearance at Indian Wells came in 2019.
She still can offer stinging serves and big backhands, but her performance this time was filled with mistakes, including 10 double-faults.
The match was interrupted by heavy rain after they completed just two games in windy and chilly conditions Wednesday night. When play resumed about 14 hours after the suspension, the sun was out, the temperature rose above 70 degrees (20 Celsius) and Williams no longer needed the long-sleeved white top and black leggings she used the night before.
The 80th-ranked Hibino, who came into this match with an 0-3 career record at Indian Wells, will meet No. 17 seed Veronika Kudermetova in the second round.
On Day 2 in the desert, with a packed scheduled because of the previous night's weather, winners included four-time Grand Slam title winner Naomi Osaka, 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu, 2018 Australian Open winner Caroline Wozniacki and 2022 Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins. Next for Collins is a matchup with No. 1 Iga Swiatek, who edged her in three sets at the Australian Open in January, while Osaka's 6-3, 6-1 victory over qualifier Sara Errani allowed her to move on to face No. 14 Liudmila Samsononva.
Among the men, three-time major champ Stan Wawrinka was edged 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-2 by 63rd-ranked Tomas Machac, and Gael Monfils, qualifier Lucas Pouille, Borna Coric and 19-year-old American Alex Michelsen won.
There was rain at night again, halting play for about 2 1/2 hours, before resuming a little past 9:30 p.m. local time.
Rafael Nadal was supposed to play in his first tour match since January on Thursday night, but he withdrew from the tournament on Wednesday.

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2 Sailors Die in the Stormy First Night of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, Organizers Say

Spectators at North Head watch yachts compete during the start of the annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race on Boxing Day at Sydney Harbor on December 26, 2024. (AFP)
Spectators at North Head watch yachts compete during the start of the annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race on Boxing Day at Sydney Harbor on December 26, 2024. (AFP)
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2 Sailors Die in the Stormy First Night of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, Organizers Say

Spectators at North Head watch yachts compete during the start of the annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race on Boxing Day at Sydney Harbor on December 26, 2024. (AFP)
Spectators at North Head watch yachts compete during the start of the annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race on Boxing Day at Sydney Harbor on December 26, 2024. (AFP)

Two sailors on separate boats have been killed in boom accidents two hours apart on a storm-ravaged first night of the annual Sydney to Hobart race, adding to the event's long history of deaths at sea.

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Sydney, which administers the yacht race, said Friday that one sailor each on entrants Flying Fish Arctos and Bowline were killed after being struck by the boom, a large horizontal pole at the bottom of the sail.

New South Wales Police Superintendent Joe McNulty identified the two dead sailors as a 55-year-old man from Western Australia (on Flying Fish Arctos) and a 65-year-old man from South Australia (on Bowline).

He said the crews on both boats, which had been seized by police for evidence, were "doing it pretty tough at the moment."

"We’ve got police getting talking to them, doctors and counselling. They’re assisting with our inquiries. They are shaken up by what they’ve seen ... and they didn’t give up."

Officials later said a sailor was washed overboard on another boat, but was rescued. That crew member was from Hobart yacht Porco Rosso, and he drifted a kilometer from the yacht before being rescued.

The incident triggered the crew member’s emergency position-indicating radio beacon, a safety device that must be worn by all sailors in the race.

"That is one of the most terrifying experiences that you can have," said David Jacobs, vice-commodore of the CYCA. "(And) it was at night, which makes it tenfold more scary."

The deaths come 26 years after six sailors were killed in storms during the 1998 running of the race, which triggered a state coronial inquest and mass reforms to the safety protocols — including the radio beacon on all sailors — that govern the race. There have been 13 fatalities in the 79-year history of the race, with four of those deaths resulting from sailor heart attacks.

The fleet was continuing its passage to Constitution Dock in Hobart, Tasmania, with the first boats expected to arrive early Saturday morning. The race is 628 nautical miles (722 miles, 1,160 kilometers) long.

Jacobs reiterated the race would "absolutely" continue.

"The conditions are challenging, but they’re not excessive," he said. "So we’ve got sort of winds at about 25 knots coming from the north seas around about two meters or thereabouts, so the conditions that most of the sailors would normally easily handle."

"The sailing community is a very close community. There’s about a thousand sailors on the water in this race, and to lose two in this fashion is just devastating."

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to the sailors who died.

"We have sadly awoken to tragedy in the Sydney to Hobart with the awful news that two sailors have lost their lives," he said. "Our thoughts are with the crews, their families and loved ones at this deeply sad time."

The incident aboard Flying Fish Arctos occurred around 30 nautical miles east-southeast of Ulladulla on the New South Wales south coast. Crew members attempted CPR but could not revive their teammate.

The crew member aboard Bowline was struck approximately 30 nautical miles east/north-east of Batemans Bay and fell unconscious, with CPR also unsuccessful.

"As these incidents are being dealt with by the Water Police and all family members are yet to be contacted, we cannot provide further details at this stage," the CYCA said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with the crews, family and friends of the deceased."

The first all-Filipino crew of 15 sailors was entered in the 2024 race, but was among the retirements because of the weather. With veteran sailor Ernesto Echauz at the helm, Centennial 7 was one of six international entrants and includes sailors from the Philippines’ national team and the Philippines navy.

Last year, LawConnect won line honors after holding off defending champion Comanche by less than a minute in an exciting finish between the super maxis. LawConnect, which was runner-up in the last three editions of the race, finished in 1 day, 19 hours, 3 minutes, 58 seconds. Comanche’s time was 1 day, 19 hours, 4 minutes, 49 seconds — a margin of just 51 seconds.

Comanche, which was among the retirements in this year's race, holds the race record of 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes, 24 seconds, set when it won in 2017.

Nearly 26 hours into the race, 85 entrants were still sailing and 19 yachts had retired at sea or in port.

LawConnect, which led out of Sydney Harbor on Thursday, was ahead in the race but still had about 150 nautical miles before reaching Hobart. It could mean an overnight finish for the leading yachts early Saturday. Celestial V70 was in second place, about 20 nautical miles behind LawConnect.