Serena Williams’ return to tennis action was cut short after her women’s doubles partner, Ons Jabeur, withdrew from the Eastbourne International because of a knee injury.
The WTA event had seen the 40-year-old star
play her first two competitive matches since she limped out of last year’s
Wimbledon in tears with a hamstring problem.
The American and Tunisia’s Jabeur made it
through to the semi-finals with a narrow last-16 win over Maria Bouzkova and
Sara Sorribes Tormo, before a more convincing quarter-final victory in straight
sets against Chan Hao-ching and Shuko Aoyama.
Williams is now to focus on Wimbledon,
where she has accepted a wild card into the women’s singles in a bid to win a
record-equaling 24th Grand Slam title.
She is to find out who she faces in the
first round when the draw is made today.
On Wednesday, Williams and Jabeur defeated
Taiwan’s Chan and Japan’s Aoyama 6-2, 6-4 in the quarter-finals of the
Wimbledon warm-up event at Devonshire Park.
On Tuesday, in her first appearance in 12
months, Williams initially looked rusty in the duo’s victory over Sorribes
Tormo and Bouzkova.
However, she grew into that match and was
more like her old self in Wednesday’s match.
It took only two minutes for the American
to send down an ace before several clinical volleys provided the first break.
The opening set was wrapped up in 25
minutes and another break inspired by Williams in the ninth game of the second
set put them on the brink of victory. One more ace for Williams helped get her
and Jabeur over the line.
“I don’t know if you know the team name?
It’s ‘OnSerena,’” Serena said of her partnership with Jabeur, who had never
played with the American until this week.
Before Williams made the surprise
announcement of her return last week, rumors of retirement had swirled around
her for months.