Williams falls under Australian Tomljanovic and if she doesn’t convert it will be the last game of her career
A defiant Serena Williams exited the US Open with a third-round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday in what could have been the last singles match of her glittering career.
Losing has always been hard for the fiercely competitive Williams to digest, and the 46-ranked Australian’s 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-1 loss certainly hit her hard.
But after a joyous run into the third round, there was no shame in losing to battle-hardened Tomljanovic, leaving the 23-time Grand Slam winner unscathed and head held high.
Her three matches, culminating in a second-round win over world number two Anett Kontaveit, were a gift to her fans, the ruthless attitude that made her the dominant tennis player for over twenty years, right down to the last point.
“Obviously I’m still capable,” Williams told reporters. “But it takes a lot more than that.” To which he added, “I have such a bright future ahead of me.”
Always ready to fight, the 40-year-old went all out and pushed Tomljanovic to his limits.
The Aussie needed six match points to deliver the knockout blow and end a thrilling match that lasted over three hours.
Williams had previously indicated in a Vogue article in August that she plans to retire, saying she was “evolving outside of tennis,” but without confirming that the US Open would be her last event.
When given the chance to put an end to speculation that the US Open might not be the end, Williams left the door ajar. When asked if she might be tempted to return to tennis, she replied, “I don’t think so, but you never know.”
“I’ve always liked Australia, though,” he later told reporters, hinting at a run at the Australian Open in January.
For fans, however, the message was clear: the US Open would be the place where Williams said goodbye.
The New York public, which has supported her from the beginning and through the years and fueled her six US Open titles, once again stood by her side, but failed to lead her to another victory.
When she retires, Serena will retire with 986 games played, a balance of 835 wins and 151 losses; 73 titles, including 23 Grand Slam (7 Australian Open, 3 Roland Garros, 8 Wimbledon and 6 US Open) and 5 WTA Finals; 23 in doubles (14 in majors), a Federation Cup and four Olympic gold medals, one individually (2012) and three in pairs with her sister Venus (2000, 2008 and 2012).
Tomljanovic, who has yet to win a WTA tournament, seemed to have little chance against Williams, winner of 73 career titles, but she was not intimidated.
Before entering center court, Tomljanovic paused and touched the plaque with a quote from Billie Jean King hanging at the entrance: “Busy is a privilege.” Despite an exciting atmosphere, the game got off to a slow start, with the players swapping breaks before settling down.
Williams appeared to have taken control as she broke Tomljanovic to take a 5-3 lead and serve for the set. But with Williams within two points of a 1-0 lead, Tomljanovic held on, broke and dragged four straight games to steal the set, leaving the stadium stunned.
A defiant Williams, as she has so many times, upped her game by hitting back in relentless style in the second, breaking the Australian twice en route to 4-0.
In their fourth game in five nights, Williams appeared to be out of gas and Tomljanovic, showing some of his own steel, came in at 5-5 as the set went to a tie-break.
Everyone in the Arthur Ashe, now on their feet, knew Williams would not go down without a fight, and he pulled out all the stops to win the tiebreak 7-4.
Williams made the crowd roar again when he broke Tomljanovic early in the third, but he just had nothing left in the tank. The Australian put the former world number one on the ropes, who won the next four games with a 4-1 lead.
But Williams had no intention of giving Tomljanovic the win, but would have to earn it, for that he needed six match points.
Translation done with the free version of the translator www.DeepL.com/Translator
Source: La Verdad
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