Olympic Tennis 2012: Venus Williams Ousts Aleksandra Wozniak to Reach Round 3

American tennis star Venus Williams defeated Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak in straight sets on Tuesday at Wimbledon to advance to the third round of the women's singles tournament at the 2012 London Olympics (via Yahoo! Sports).

Williams edged Wozniak 6-1, 6-3, and will take on No. 7-ranked German Angelique Kerber in the third round.

Despite her struggles and recent early exit from the All England Club, Williams has an impressive Olympic resume, including a singles gold in 2000 and doubles gold alongside her sister Serena in 2000 and 2008.

Although Venus' first-round loss at Wimbledon last June looked to signal the end of her competitiveness at the top of women's tennis, she has fought back like a champion to put herself in position to win a second career Olympic medal in 2012.

The odds are stacked against her, that's for sure. At age 32, she's battling an autoimmune disease that takes a lot out of her on the court. Venus hasn't won a Grand Slam in over four years and hasn't been past the fourth round of any major tournament since the 2010 U.S. Open.

Make no mistake, Venus Williams' second-round win over Aleksandra Wozniak is an accomplishment given all that the American has been through over the past couple of years. 

She's also competing in doubles simultaneously, attempting to defend her and Serena's gold from 2008.

The former world No. 1 has won five Wimbledon championships, seven individual Grand Slams and 15 Grand Slam titles in doubles competition. Her resume suggests that her triumph on Day 4 of the Games was to be expected, but in reality, Venus took a big step towards making history in London this summer.

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter For More Reaction on the 2012 London Olympics This Summer.