At 37 years of age, Venus Williams won't cease to amaze the entire world with her sense of longevity. It's been 20 years since she played her first Grand Slam final ( 1997 US Open) and somehow she has found a way to beat off time. Serena Williams' absence from the professional circuit is a factor, but Venus keeps the Williams name on a higher ground. Entering the inaugural round, Venus had to deal with Viktoria Kuzmova (135 WTA) of Slovakia, a player who went through the qualifying stages to reach the main draw. Venus didn't want to join Halep and Konta on the list of eliminated top seeds so she went on conquering her opponent at the end of a tense match.

Venus Williams regrouped to edge Kuzmova

The draw put Venus Williams in the same quarter with two-time finalist Caroline Wozniacki and two-time Grand Slam titlist Garbine Muguruza. Knowing how difficult her path will get, Venus was on the verge of letting out of sight the inaugural battle she was involved in. After winning the first set, she pressed harder in the early stages of the second set to secure a 2-0 lead. From that point on, Kuzmova changed tactic hitting closer to the lines. It paid off as she turned the table the other way around clinching the set by 6-3. The decisive third set saw Venus dealing the current challenge in a more cautious manner by not letting the strings slipping out of her hands.

In the end, she topped the qualifier by 6-2 to secure a spot in the round of 64 where Oceane Dodin (48 WTA) awaits. Dodin, 20, edged her fellow country woman Pauline Parmentier in the previous round.

Venus Williams with a great deal of consistency in 2017

If the Grand Slam results are to be taken into consideration as a unit for consistency, Venus Williams will be sitting in the upper drawer.

So far, in 2017, she made it into two Grand Slam singles finals. Back in January, she reached the Australian Open final act where she lost to her younger sister Serena 6-4 6-4. She had moderate success at the French Open where she lost in the fourth round. But, back in July, Wimbledon campaign saw Venus reaching her second Grand Slam final of the season.

Once again, she fell short, this time against Garbine Muguruza. Even so, given her age, and her medical history too, it's extraordinary how she is able to find resources, apparently out of the thin air.

Regarding the current US Open, Venus is a two-time former champion (2000, 2001). She was the runner-up of other two editions (1997, 2002). It's been 15 years since her last final in New York, and why not hope for one more in 2017.