Tennis: Williams shakes off knee injury

Venus Williams expects to be fit enough to play Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova in the third round of the Australian Open on Friday.

The Wimbledon and US Open champion, seeded second, hobbled to victory in the second round after being struck by tendonitis in her left knee 20 minutes before the match.

After an hour's treatment on Thursday it was reported that Williams was much better and "ready to play".

The American doubts whether she would have been allowed on court by her father if had seen her condition before facing Kristina Brandi.

But he is in Florida and Williams, whose sister Serena scratched with an ankle injury before the start, kept news of it away from her mother.

She won 6-3 6-4, but only because Brandi lacked the ability to take advantage of her mobility problems. Hantuchova is the number 32 seed and the draw means she could have to face Monica Seles in the quarter-finals, Martina Hingis in the semis and Jennifer Capriati in the final.