Unseeded Harmony Tan overcame her fears over a Wimbledon nightmare to knock out seven-time champion Serena Williams in their first-round meet to turn Center Court into her own personal dreamland.
The 24-year-old French debutant triumphed on Tuesday over three sets against the 23-time Grand Slam champion to secure her first career victory on grass and advance to the second round at the expense of the former world number 1.
Although Williams’ first singles game in a year ended in defeat, she still managed to get the Center Court crowd on her feet when they won a champion’s performance in a match that lasted more than three hours , greeted.
Williams lost 7-5 1-6 7-6 (10-7) to Harmony Tan, but not before the 40-year-old American captivated the crowd and even saved a game point before falling into the limelight.
“It’s a dream, because, you know, I saw Serena on TV when I was young,” Tan said after the game.
“My coach, Nathalie Tauziat, played her 20 years ago. So, yes, it’s a great generation. She’s a legend. I mean, she won 23 grand slams. If you play her, I was scared. I mean, I was scared when I was on the track, but very happy to be there. ”
Tauziat, who also coaches 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, has her own history at Wimbledon and ended up as runner-up for Jana Novotna in 1998 when Tan was less than a year old.
“She just told me I should enjoy it, because this is your first time at Wimbledon,” Tan said of the advice Tauziat had given her before the game.
“You play at Center Court against Serena. And, yes, just enjoy the game.”
Tan, who placed 115th in the world rankings, did much more than that and won the first set 7-5 against Williams before the American rushed back to take the second and in the process dropped a lone match.
While Wimbledon’s curfew rule was imminent at 11pm, the pair struggled to break a third set that Tan eventually won when a tired Williams gave up an early lead to come out on top after more than three hours of play fall.
The French woman, who had never progressed beyond the second round of a Grand Slam, was advised to describe how she managed to turn the match in her favor.
“I do not know why I play every ball like just, a piece, a little change, a little variety at stake,” she said. “And it works today.”
rusted champion
Of course, no one goes on forever, not even Williams, who has performed numerous near-miracles through a career of three decades.
Yet it was an awkward look to see the rusted champion cast a faded shadow of the player who had won so many Grand Slam singles crowns.
Because you have long been in the habit of giving up fewer mortals while sailing at barely half a pace, there was nothing to dig into on Tuesday, no extra gear or any aura to give an advantage.
Instead, she swung blunt tools and sank back to a three-set defeat before considering her future.
“It’s a question I can not answer,” the 40-year-old said when asked if she would return to Wimbledon. “Like, I do not know. I feel like, you know, I do not know. Who knows? Who knows where I will show up.
“Today I gave everything I could do … Maybe I could have given more tomorrow. Maybe a week ago I could have given more. But today was what I could do. At some point you should be able to be okay with it. . “
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Nadal door, Swiatek stretch line
Day two got off to a sour note when eighth-seeded Matteo Berrettini, last year’s runner-up, became the second top player to pull out with Covid-19 after Marin Cilic’s withdrawal.
An already exhausted men’s draw only got weaker when Canadian sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime was knocked out in the first round by Maxime Cressy, who fought back from a set to go 6-7 (5) 6-4 7 -6 (9) to triumph. ) 7-6 (5) in more than four hours.
Rafa Nadal’s participation was called into question earlier this month due to a foot injury, but in addition to swinging for a third set, he came through his first game on grass in three years to beat Argentine Francisco Cerundolo 6-4 6-3 3- 6 6- to beat. Four.
Nick Kyrgios set off fireworks in a five-set victory over Brit Paul Jubb in a match marred by arguments with a line judge, the chair referee and a heckler, with the Australian admitting he was heading in that direction of the fan.
World no. 1, Iga Swiatek, won her 36th consecutive match to record the longest winning streak in women’s play in the 21st century when she beat Croatia’s Jana Fett 6-0 6-3.
Former no. 1 Simona Halep, who has made her first appearance at the All England Club since lifting the title in 2019, beat Karolina Muchova 6-3 6-2, while Coco Gauff overcame a first set of hiccups around Elena-Gabriela Ruse 2-6 6 to beat. -3 7-5.
Petra Kvitova, another former Wimbledon champion, was also sent off in her first round match where she beat Jasmine Paolini 2-6 6-4 6-2.