Sony Ericsson Open 2012 Day 3 Results: Venus Williams Returns And Wins

205 days.

That’s how long it’s been since Venus Williams last played a complete singles match.

That was August 29, 2011, when she beat Vesna Dolonts of Russia 6-4, 6-3 in the opening round of the U.S. Open.

Williams pulled out just minutes before her second-round match against Sabine Lisicki due to an illness later identified as Sjorgen’s Syndrome, an autoimmune disease that causes joint pain and fatigue.

Williams started the 2012 season by pulling out of Auckland, the Australian Open and Kuala Lumpur all due to illness.

On Wednesday, she ended her 205-day drought when she completed her first singles match since that first round in August.

The American star won 6-0, 6-3 against Kimiko Date-Krumm of Japan. The match lasted one hour and 17 minutes.

From CNN:

“It’s easy to say, ‘I’ve done enough’ -- or it would be easy to go on a permanent vacation. But I need to look back and know that I gave everything,” Williams said. “I know I still have so much more. Before I was sick I was on top of the world in singles and doubles. So that’s my goal, to return to that.”