NEW YORK – Venus Williams closed out her Grand Slam season Thursday night with a 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 second-round loss to sixth-seeded Angelique Kerber at the U.S. Open.
Williams, the 2000 and 2001 champion at Flushing Meadows, finished with 60 unforced errors. The match lasted 2 hours, 45 minutes.
She finished the year with only two victories at the Grand Slam events — one at the French Open and another at Flushing Meadows.
Last year, Williams departed the U.S. Open before her second-round match, suffering with Sjogren's syndrome, an illness that causes joint pain and fatigue.
On Thursday, Williams lost serve twice in the second set but came back both times to win and force a third set. But she lost serve at 5-5 and Kerber served out the set for the win.
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