Venus Williams was in the middle of a first-set tiebreaker at the Australian Open on Wednesday when her mother yelled some encouragement from the bleachers at Rod Laver Arena. Oracene Price's urges to "fight" were clearly intended for her daughter, but they appeared to immediately fall on deaf ears, and with good reason. On the last point of the tiebreaker she eventually lost, Williams hurt herself on a twisting backhand volley. Writhing in pain and clutching near her stomach as she walked back to her courtside chair, Williams took a medical timeout as a WTA trainer was called. A few minutes later, she returned with her upper right thigh taped and a whole new attitude. She later said she injured her "psoas" muscle, which flexes the hip and spinal column. "It was really tough, but I'm a long way from home and it's such a long way I didn't want to go back yet," Williams said after surviving a 6-7 (6), 6-0, 6-4 second-round win over her Czech opponent, Sandra Zahlavova. Read more: http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/aus11/news/story?id=6035309
