WILLIAMS SISTERS’ RETURN ACT BOMBS
Rusty Serena puts on brave face after comeback defeat
FORMER world number one Serena Williams said she felt on the “right track” despite a crushing loss in her long-awaited comeback to tennis on Sunday playing alongside big sister Venus in a Fed Cup dead rubber.
The duo, who have combined to win 22 doubles titles, were outgunned by the unheralded Dutch pairing of Lesley Kerkhove and Demi Schuurs who were playing in their first ever outing together.
The Williams lost 6-2, 6-3 with 36-year-old Serena appearing particularly slow on her feet and poor in her shot selection after more than a year away from the sport.
But she was determined to put on a brave face after the loss took some of the shine off the Americans’ otherwise decisive 3-1 win that booked their place in the next round against France in April.
“It felt really good to be back the court. I’ve been training and it was just exciting to be out there,” she said.
It was Serena’s first competitive match since winning her 23rd major at the 2017 Australian Open.
The American star took time away from the sport to give birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia and get married, to Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian.
On Sunday she was happy with the power behind her shots even if her accuracy wasn’t quite where it should be.
There had been speculation Serena may drop out of Sunday’s doubles match, after she did not turn up for practice in the morning with the three other US players.
But team captain Kathy Rinaldi confirmed her participation after Venus won her singles match against Richel Hogenkamp to seal overall victory for the US.
The dead-rubber was supposed to be the feel-good, icing on the cake, but the Dutch players had other ideas.
The Dutch players’ ability to soak up the pressure was all the more remarkable given that Schuurs, the younger of the pair, was just six-years-old when Serena won her first major tournament.
Venus’ participation meant there was no room for Lauren Davis, the US’ fourth player.
The seven-time Grand Slam winner, who enjoyed a renaissance year in 2017, earlier shook off a scratchy start to prevail 7-5, 6-1 in her singles match, ensuring the US could continue their defence of the title.
Ahead of the tie, Serena had refused to be drawn on her Grand Slam hopes for the year.
She had initially targeted last month’s Australian Open and a defence of her 2017 title but struggled during an exhibition match against Jelena Ostapenko in Abu Dhabi in December, forcing her to revise her plans.
But she hinted Sunday she could make herself available for selection for the US’ next round clash in France in April.
Meanwhile, Petra Kvitova led the Czech Republic into a 10th successive Fed Cup semi-final
Two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova, playing in her first Fed Cup tie since she was attacked by a knife-wielding burglar at her home in December 2016, eased past Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-4 to give the Czechs an unassailable 3-0 lead over Switzerland in Prague.
The Czechs, who have won the Fed Cup 10 times, will travel to Germany, who downed 2017 runners-up Belarus 3-2 in Minsk, for the semi-finals in April.