Fed Cup: Serena returns for U.S.
The Czech Republic beat Switzerland 3-1 to advance to its 10th straight Fed Cup semifinals on Sunday, and Serena Williams played her first competitive match in more than a year as defending champion United States defeated the Netherlands 3-1.
The Czechs, Fed Cup champions in five of the last seven years, travel to Germany, which made its first semifinals since 2015 after beating 2017 finalist Belarus 3-2 in Minsk. The U.S. goes to France, which defeated Belgium 3-2.
In Asheville, N.C., Serena Williams lined up alongside her sister Venus Williams in a doubles match.
Serena Williams had said her return to tennis would represent the “start of a long process.” She and Venus lost 6-2, 6-3 to Lesley Kerkhove and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands.
The U.S. already had clinched victory thanks to a pair of singles victories by Venus Williams and have an April 21-22 semifinal in France.
But this event was most notable for the return of Serena Williams, five months after giving birth. She hadn’t played competitive tennis since winning the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant for her 23rd career Grand Slam singles title, one off Margaret Court’s record.
Serena’s daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., was wearing a headband with red and white stripes plus a blue coat Sunday as her father, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, held her just behind the players’ bench.
“I didn’t manage my time well, but I was thinking about it in the future how to manage it better,” the younger Williams said. “This is literally my first time traveling with the baby and everything. I’m going to try to do better. It was hard. It was the first time for me.”