PostedJune 28, 2022, 11:52 PM
For her return to singles competition, the American was beaten by the French Harmony Tan (WTA 115) 7-5 1-6 7-6 (10/7), Tuesday in the first round of the Wimbledon tournament.
Serena Williams kneeling on the London grass. She failed to pass the Tan obstacle.
AFP
After a year without playing a singles tournament, Serena Williams missed her return to the circuit: at 40, the American was beaten on Tuesday by the Frenchwoman Harmony Tan (WTA 115) in 3:11 ‘in the first round of Wimbledon .
Seven-time Major champion on grass and ex-undisputed world No.1, Serena Williams, down to 1,204th in the world, had received an invitation to enter the main draw.
Last year, she left the Center Court during the match, victim of a thigh injury. Tuesday, back on this same court, she went following a disjointed match at the end of which she bowed.
A little lost on the court…
Sometimes borrowed, not always well placed, even a little lost on the court, not knowing whether to move forward or back, not always sure of herself or her shots, she was unable to impose over the length of the match his powerful and intimidating game which made his strength.
She gave a lot of screams to try to evacuate the obviously enormous pressure that weighed on her shoulders, but there was too much waste in her game (54 unforced errors once morest 28 for her opponent).
So she sometimes resorted to attempts at intimidation, with particularly theatrical demonstrations on a few key points like the one that gave her the break and the possibility of serving for the match in the third set. But in vain.
Serena Williams particularly exuberant on the court, but in vain.
AFP
Opposite, Tan, 24, made him run as much as possible, forwards, backwards, sideways.
Williams, visibly short physically, finished exhausted while the Frenchwoman, who was participating in her first Wimbledon, mightn’t believe it.
“I’m so moved I can’t find the words…She’s a superstar, I’ve watched her on TV so many times.”
“I’m so moved I can’t find the words… She’s a superstar, I’ve watched her so many times on TV that for my first Wimbledon, it’s… wow!” Tan commented.
“When I saw the draw, I was very scared. It’s Serena Williams, a legend, I was wondering how to play once morest her and I thought that if I already won one or two games, it would be great, “added Harmony Tan, whose coach, Nathalie Tauziat, today 54-year-old faced Serena Williams on the circuit.
A match point before the super tie-break
The Frenchwoman might even have finished a little earlier but Williams saved the first match point at 6-5 in the third set before taking the game into the super tie-break.
The American then quickly pulled away 4-0 and seemed to be heading for a victory, but she was unable to maintain her advantage and ended up losing.
In July 2021, injured in a thigh, she was forced to retire in the first round once morest Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich (100th in the world), when she was ranked 8th in the WTA.
A double return to Eastbourne
She had resumed competition to everyone’s surprise last week in doubles in Eastbourne, associated with the Tunisian Ons Jabeur (then 3rd in the world in singles). The duo had won their first two matches before forfeiting the semi-finals due to a knee injury to Jabeur.
(AFP)
