London, Jun 30 (EFE).- Serena Williams, 44, winner of 23 Grand Slam titles, went down with honor in her return to the courts at Wimbledon, which she has won seven times, and put up a strong fight against Australia’s Maya Joint, who defeated her 6-3, (6)6-7, 6-3.
In a 2-hour, 24-minute battle played before a packed Center Court, the younger of the Williams sisters, who had not competed in the tournament since 2022, played at a high level and pushed Joint to the limit, forcing her to play her best.
After receiving a wild card from the organizers, the former world No. 1 entered the match highly focused, even earning two break points against her opponent in the fifth game, though she failed to convert either.
The Australian showed no signs of nerves or stage fright; she was very solid on her service games and also managed to unsettle Williams, who was erratic in the first set, with just a 57% first-serve percentage
That lack of effectiveness ultimately took its toll in the first set, and Joint capitalized on a break in the eighth game to immediately consolidate her lead and claim the set.
