In the biggest single women’s draw game to date, Tan, who was No. 115 in the world and made her Wimbledon debut, let alone on the main stage of Center Court, kept her nerves in the crucial super tie break for victory. 7-5 1-6 7-6 (10-7). This was clearly not the most vintage show of Williams’ brilliant career, nor was she ever to be given time away from the game. But as the roof closed and the lights came on at Center Court – a scene that caused oh and ah from those watching – the two players put on a show that was too much of a drama. In the end, it was Tan who broke Williams’ return party, on several occasions creating shots that won even the applause from her opponent on the other side of the net. “For my first Wimbledon – it’s wow. Just wow,” Tan said, lost in words, in her on-field interview. Few of those present could disagree. As for Williams, who turned 40 last September, she refuses to give up her quest for an equal record of 24 Grand Slam titles, five years after winning her last at the Australian Open.
“Who knows where I will appear,” she told reporters when asked about her future, implying that an appearance at the US Open could be on paper later this year. “The US Open – being the first place to win a Grand Slam – is something that is always very special,” Williams added. “Your first time is always special. There is definitely a lot of motivation to get better and play at home.” The rust was expected when Williams returned to Wimbledon and it took her a while to find some sense of rhythm against Tan. Prior to Tuesday, her only match last year was two doubles matches at Eastbourne last week. She was broken in the first game, but in the fourth she had started to find her legs – hitting her ground clearer as she retaliated with a double break from Tan’s serve. The first set, however, proved to be indicative of the fight as a whole: just as Williams seemed to have the upper hand over her opponent, Tan would find the battle again. This happened on many occasions in the final set, as Williams led twice with a break, then took an early lead in the crucial super tie break, only for Tan to win 10 of the next 13 points and win her biggest win. career. Tuesday’s match had a clear contrast to the styles. Williams’ aggressive performance was a blow and a failure as he scored 61 wins – a combination of hits on the ground and sweetly hit driving volleyballs – with 54 unforced errors.
Tan, on the other hand, was more conservative and relied heavily on her part to move Williams to the pitch – a tactic the American later admitted had taken her by surprise. “I think I could play any person, [it] “It would probably have a different effect,” he said. “I knew I had a lot of tracks, but not so many. I definitely had to try to find my rhythm out there. You know, the aftermath is 20/20 “. The good thing about Williams, who retired against Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the first round of last year’s Wimbledon after slipping and injuring her leg, was that her body held up well to Tan. “I was physically well,” he added. “It simply came to our notice then. But I move well, I get a lot of balls back. I am doing well in training. “It was not strange for me because I knew I was doing well. I did not train for, you know, a three-hour race. I guess I was wrong there.” Before Wimbledon, Williams thought that tennis was no longer her only focus in life. Out of court, motherhood, her business company and the release of the film King Richard, which she helped produce, have all occupied her time.
“It was completely different, honestly. A part of myself I feel is a little more out of my life now than tournaments,” he said last week. But that does not mean that Williams is completely ready to say goodbye to tennis – even if she remains undecided on when and where her next appearance will be. And if nothing else, the defeat by Tan made the tennis fires burn a little brighter. “It definitely makes me want to go to the training ground,” he said, “because when you’re not playing badly and you’re so close, it’s actually a bit like, ‘Okay, Serena, you can do this if you want to.’”