LONDON (AP) — There were still serves beyond 120 mph. Plenty of heavy groundstrokes landing within inches of the baseline, too.Serena Williams won plenty of praise about her game from her fellow players at Wimbledon a day after her first singles match in nearly four years.The 44-year-old Williams was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 by 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia in the first round on Tuesday but showed she could be competitive after being away for so long.Coco Gauff ended her dinner early to find somewhere to watch Williams.“I think Serena’s level was insane,” Gauff said Wednesday. “It proves even more how she’s the GOAT despite age and all that. I don’t know how she can play that level not playing for four years. I was already nervous not playing two weeks before this tournament. I couldn’t imagine four years.“I just love her. I love her fight. And the serve is unbelievable,” Gauff added after her second-round win. “You just look at her and you think, ’This is like 10 years ago.’ It’s really insane. I think it was cool for the sport.”The 87th-ranked Joint was in the top 30 earlier this year.
“Maya played top-10, top-5 tennis. Obviously she’s a great player,” Gauff said. “She seems like an even, chill girl. I do think if anyone was ready for the moment, it would be her.”
