Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Comeback inspired by Serena, admits Venus
VENUS Williams admitted her shock Wimbledon comeback was inspired by sister Serena and after a successful return on grass has now set her sights on another grand slam title.
The 42-year-old partnered with Jamie Murray last night to down Alicja Rosolska and Michael Venus 6-3 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 in the first round of the mixed doubles at the All England Club.
Williams had not played competitively since last August but after she saw her younger sibling make a surprise return to action after 12 months out in Eastbourne last week, it proved the catalyst for the veteran to request a wild card to appear at the Championships for a 24th year.
An official announcement on Wednesday confirmed the American, who has won a total of 23 majors across singles and doubles, would join forces with the eldest Murray in a strange twist of fate with Andy Murray and Serena Williams teaming up in SW19 back in 2019.
“I’ve been trying to play with him forever. He plays hard to get,” Williams said with a laugh.
“It’s one of the only ones I haven’t won, so I usually put a little more priority here. It was definitely super last minute. Just inspired by Serena. Like I said, it was amazing. I just was so happy to have so much help today.”
In the last 16 they will face British duo Alicia Barnett and Jonny O’Mara, who is from Arbroath.
Williams added: “I had no plan to play but I saw the grass and I got excited.
“I had no plans. That’s why I was asking him last minute. He just had a baby, too, so I know there’s a lot going on.
“Definitely I couldn’t have guessed that I would be here right now, taking it at the last minute. I haven’t played in a year so you don’t know what you’re going to get.
“Practice is so much different from a match. It’s not easy physically or mentally or anything. Just at the last it was like, oh my God, wow.
“I just not only played a match but won a match. I’m never like that kind of player. I always expect to win. But when I sat there, we wanted to win, but when I sat there at the end, it was real. Yeah I felt something in my heart.”
Meanwhile, Cameron Norrie followed Heather Watson by breaking new ground and reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon.
This was the sixth time in the last nine grand slams that the British No 1 had made it to the last 32 but – not helped by coming up against the likes of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer – he had never gone further.
He changed that in emphatic fashion against Steve Johnson, though, outclassing the American 6-4 6-1 6-0 in just an hour and 49 minutes for his first Centre Court victory to set up a clash with another American, Tommy Paul, tomorrow.
Watson, meanwhile, made the second week of a grand slam for the first time after a drama-filled win over Kaja Juvan.
Playing at her 12th Wimbledon and in her 43rd major tournament, the British No 4 thrilled Court One with a landmark 7-6 (8-6) 6-2 victory.
The closest Watson had previously come to the fourth round was here in 2015, when she served for the match against Serena Williams but lost 7-5 in the third.