Serena Williams has won her first match in her comeback at the BNP Paribas Open after a 14-month layoff for the birth of her first child.
The 23-time major winner beat Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan 7-5, 6-3 in the first round Thursday night.
“It was incredible,” Williams said on court afterward. “It’s been over a year and a kid later and I get to go home to her now, and I’m excited about that.”
With new husband and Reddit co-found Alexis Ohanian looking on, Williams played from behind until breaking Diyas in the 11th game of the first set. Diyas netted a forehand and Williams yelled, “Come on!” as the crowd cheered.
Williams served a love game capped by a 100mph ace in her first service game. She had break points in the first and fifth games but couldn’t convert. She started hitting harder and her familiar grunting returned when she tied the set 5-all.
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| Serena in excitement after the win |
Diyas and Williams traded service breaks early in the second set. Williams then broke her opponent again en route to winning the final five games. She smiled as she walked to the net, and her family gave her a standing ovation.
“It definitely wasn’t easy,” Williams said on court. “We always have a couple tight sets. It was good. I’m a little rusty, but it doesn’t matter. I’m just out here on this journey and doing the best I can.”
Williams has been away since winning the 2017 Australian Open early in her pregnancy. She gave birth to daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr six months ago.
Ohanian bought four billboards along Interstate 10 outside Palm Springs in tribute to his wife. The fourth billboard shows a photo of Williams and their daughter with the phrase “G.M.O.A.T” – greatest mother of all time – and is signed by Alexis Sr and Jr.
Williams’ only competitive appearances since the birth came in December at an exhibition in Abu Dhabi, a Fed Cup doubles match with sister Venus last month and an exhibition in New York on Monday.
She is playing at Indian Wells under a protected ranking of 22nd. Williams hasn’t been unseeded at a tournament since 2011 in Cincinnati.
It was pointed out to Williams that it was International Women’s Day.
“I’m so excited to play on this night,” she said. “It was meant to be I think. I’m really happy about that.”
Another mother, Victoria Azarenka, followed Williams on stadium court. The two-time winner of the desert tournament needed a wild card to get in because she has been off the tour since Wimbledon due to a custody fight over her one-year-old son, Leo, that meant she did not want to leave California.
On her return, she defeated Heather Watson 6-4 6-2. The Belarusian former world number one broke five times to Watson’s two to book a second-round meeting with US Open champion Sloane Stephens.
The match was Azarenka’s first since Wimbledon last year. Speaking to BT Sport courtside, she said: “Walking out on court I felt so much love and I almost had tears in my eyes. It’s such an amazing feeling to be back playing and having fun - I forgot what it’s like playing in different emotions.
“It was definitely tough, especially when you have been out of the game for a while. There were some moments that I lost my concentration from not playing so long, but it’s a pretty good start.”
In other first-round matches, CiCi Bellis overpowered qualifier Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-0, 6-3
to earn a second-round matchup with defending champion Elena Vesnina of Russia.
Bellis led five other Americans into the second round. She was joined by wild card Danielle Collins and Jennifer Brady, who both got stretched to three sets. Taylor Fritz needed three sets to advance in the men’s draw as did Mitchell Krueger and Jared Donaldson.
Source: The Guardian International
Source: The Guardian International
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