Just as she was starting to show glimpses of returning to form, Venus Williams was let down by her serve and her concentration at crucial times and lost 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to Ekaterina Makarova on the first day of the Australian Open. The No. 22-seeded Makarova upset Serena Williams in the fourth round here in 2012, but was comprehensively outplayed in the first set against the elder of the Williams sisters on Monday, dropping serve three times. Williams had chances in the second set, too, missing a break-point opportunity to go up 4-2, and then serving three consecutive double-faults to surrender a crucial break in the ninth game. The 33-year-old Williams, the second-oldest player in the tournament and a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, took some time out after the second set to change her self-designed zebra-striped dress and came back strongly, taking a 3-0 lead. More...