Serena Williams says goodbye to her comeback in Wimbledon in round one and increases questions about her sporting future.
as Harmony Tan at the winner’s interview, it was just before 11pm local Wimbledon time, she was also asked what she was actually thinking about the draw when she found out she had to play Serena Williams in the first round. “I was a bit scared” said the French woman.
Tan ends Williams comeback at Wimbledon
However, there was hardly any sign of this in the more than three hours on Center Court. Only the second set clearly went to the seven-time Wimbledon champion, after an early break, which was preceded by a hard-fought 19-minute service game.
For long stretches, however, number 115 in the world rankings, which made it into Wimbledon made it into the main field for the first time, more than equal. At the end of a gripping match, Tan left the field 7:5, 1:6, 7:6 as a deserved winner.
Tan engages Williams in long rallies
Tan showed from the start that she went into the match with a clear plan and was determined to seize her chance – against tennis giant Williams, who was ahead Wimbledon hadn’t played a match in a year.
The 24-year-old attacked Williams with strong defensive play and repeatedly involved her 16-year-old opponent in lengthy, exhausting rallies. Williams was physically stretched to her limits,
Fan sympathy for Williams
Williams’ well-known, feared dominance flashed again and again with a few shots, but overall she presented herself far removed from previous class in terms of running and play. She played “the kind of erratic tennis you’d expect from someone who hasn’t competed in a year“, wrote the “Washington Post“.
After all, Williams offered a great fight, celebrated extensively after winning points and in the end also drew the audience to the Center Court to her side.
The newspaper took the fact that it was celebrated by the fans as a further sign that the twilight of the goddess had actually set in: “The fans seemed Williams To offer something that one of the greatest champions in all sports had never needed before: compassion.”
For Harmony Tan, the win was against Williams nevertheless “a dream” that came true: “Serena is a real legend, I saw her on TV when I was young.” The Frenchwoman is trained by Nathalie Tauziatthe 1998 in the final of Wimbledon stood – it was the tournament where Serena Williams made her debut.
Williams: US Open as a big motivation
The question of whether the 23-time Grand Slam-Siegerin actually returns to the sacred turf again, left her open. She didn’t want to talk about a possible end to her career yet, so she looked ahead and started with the US Open in prospect.
new Yorkthe location of her first Grand Slam victory, according to Williams, was “definitely a great motivation to get better and play at home again“. Then maybe for one last big hurrah.