SUMMARY
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Serena Williams shrugged off the absence of fans to make a winning return from her six-month coronavirus layoff on Tuesday, August 11 (Wednesday, August 12, Philippine time) defeating lowly ranked Bernarda Pera in 3 sets at the WTA Top Seed Open tournament in Kentucky.
Williams, who before Tuesday had not played a competitive game since a Fed Cup appearance in February, came from behind to defeat American world No. 60 Pera 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in 2 hours and 15 minutes at the Top Seed Tennis Club in Lexington.
The former world No. 1’s first round victory played out to an empty arena. This week’s tournament – the first WTA event in the US since the COVID-19 pandemic – is taking place without spectators.
Williams, 38, later revealed that the sedate surroundings had suited her game.
“It was a really calm atmosphere, it was really chill,” Williams said.
“I can’t say I disliked it. I didn’t mind it at all. I’ve been through so many things in my career and this was totally different. I think I won today because I was calm for once in my career.
“Kind of reminds me of junior days. Something nostalgic about that. I kind of enjoyed it.”
The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion looked to be flirting with an early exit in the second set, but recovered from 0-40 down at 4-4 before holding and eventually winning the set.
“I just knew I could do better,” Williams said. “It was an interesting game. I just had to get used to her game a little bit. She played really well.”
Williams will now play sister Venus, who won over Victoria Azarenka, 6-3, 6-2, in the second round.
Pera had seized an early advantage in the first set, breaking Williams to take a 3-2 lead before holding for the remainder of the set to win 6-4.
Williams was soon in trouble on her service game in the second set, falling 0-40 in the opening game before battling back to hold.
Williams moved into a 3-1 lead with a break of Pera’s serve in the fourth game, but her Croatia-born opponent hit back immediately with a break of her own before holding to level at 3-3.
With the next two games going to serve, Williams looked to be in trouble after falling 0-40 down in the ninth game. But she dug deep to hold for a 5-4 lead and then broke for the set when Pera sent a forehand return wide.
The momentum spilled into the deciding set, and another misdirected forehand from Pera handed Williams a break to move into a 3-1 lead.
Another break took her into a 5-1 lead and she closed out the win by holding to love, wrapping up victory with a cross-court forehand that left Pera stranded.
This week’s WTA tournament is the first to be staged in the United States since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the tennis season earlier this year. – Rappler.com
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