SERENA WILLIAMS SHOOK off the rust from a 15-month layoff due to pregnancy to win her opening match at the WTA Indian Wells event with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Zarina Diyas.
The unseeded Williams was the top-ranked player in the world when she began her long layoff following her victory at the 2017 Australian Open, where she was already expecting daughter Alexis Olympia who was born in September.
After a couple of exhibitions and a Davis Cup doubles match, Williams said Thursday she is ready to hit with the big guns on the WTA Tour again.
“I am not going to be there today or next week but I will get there and I do have my goals,” Williams said.
“At some point I need to jump and fly. Every day is going to be a challenge. I know I will overcome it. It takes time to get back.”
Williams entered the court Thursday night to a loud ovation, with many in the half full stadium standing and applauding as she came out of the tunnel for just her third appearance in Indian Wells in the last 17 years.
After that it was a matter of gradually asserting herself by taking control of the rallies, and she got the first break of serve in the 11th game of the first set and secured the set in the next game on her third set point.
Her daughter was born on 1 September but Williams says throughout the pre and postnatal period she tried to maintain a certain level of fitness.
The 36-year-old American is the star attraction in Indian Wells, but behind her popularity this year was the mystery surrounding her match fitness and ball-striking ability.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner answered some of those questions Thursday by blasting four aces and winning 63 percent of her first-serve points.
“From zero to Serena I am with the S,” she said. “I have got a ways to go.
“It is a journey for me and I am just going to go for it.
“I wanted to stay fit and just be ready. I wasn’t ready to retire yet even though it would have been a great way to retire.”
Williams also won a whopping 64 percent of her second serves and broke Diyas, ranked 53rd in the world, five times in the 92 minute match.
- Venus clash ahead? -
Williams set up a second round match with 29th seeded Kiki Bertens. A win over Bertens could see her face older sister Venus in the third round.
Venus, who is seeded eighth, enjoyed a first round bye and will play Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in her opening match.
The birth of Williams’s daughter was followed by life-threatening complications that scuppered her plans to defend her title in Melbourne.
Williams says she now lives in fear of blood clots, a condition that surfaced during a harrowing postnatal ordeal in September. In an op-ed piece she wrote for CNN last month, the tennis legend lifted the lid on her near-death experience while giving birth after getting blood clots in her lungs.
“I am playing with nothing to lose,” she said. “For me it is a real joy to be out here.
“I think about the moment in the hospital and not even realising how serious it was until later to be able to come through that. Going through that I know I am able to be strong win or lose.”
Serena boycotted Indian Wells, with Venus, for 14 years after she was booed in the 2001 final. She returned in 2015 but had to pull out before her semi-final against Simona Halep with a knee problem.
In 2016, she lost in the final to Victoria Azarenka, 6-4, 6-4.
Indian Wells features a star-studded women’s field in a tournament that looks wide open for the taking by any of the top 10 seeds, led by world number one Halep.
Like Williams, Azarenka ended a long layoff from a pregnancy by competing in the final match of the Indian Wells night session Thursday.
Azarenka, who needed a wild card to get into the draw, cruised past Britain’s Heather Watson 6-4, 6-2.
Come on you boys in blue!
Up da dubs.
Jesus, looks like just saying you support the Dubs is enough to get you red thumbed. Anyway, everyone hates us but we don’t care. COYBIB!!
CHAMPIONS!!!!!!
Come on Kerry. Anyone But Dublin
Fantastic display from the Dubs,welcome home Sam!
Come on the dubs!!!
Come on you boys, come on you boys in blue!!!
Who are the 4 muppets on RTE 2 arguing over nothing?
I know!! Everybody wants to see the best play in a final and a Kerry v Dublin is like The Spanish El Clasico!!!
Did they lube the pitch up with baby oil before this match? Shlippin’ and shlidin’ all over the place
Come on Dublin.
Tis a slipping and sliding match.
When I seen the photograph of the woman and baby accompanying this article I thought it was going to be another migrant/refugee story!
It’s a refugee free day!! Beer and maybe a leg over later if Dublin win!!
I’m off the drink but I’ll take you up on the offer of the leg over.
Might be some consolation after the hiding Tipperary got in the minor game
worst allireland final in my living memory. Very very poor.
Puke.
The boys on RTE just after mentioning how both teams have played limited division 1 opposition,to put that into perspective Donegal who were knocked out of the championship in the Q/F have played more Div 1 teams than both Kerry and Dublin combined.
They won’t get any all-stars either despite the lop-sided draw they came through. Perhaps Durcan – had a terrific year.
It’s a very unfair system. Ulster teams get a raw deal there’s no disputing that
Best team won in the end.
Dublin have the better squad, Kerry have the better management. Kerry by 2.
Jack Kerry are not that strong !!!
…Stick to the day job Michael
Na I work nights
Looking like the Dubs having the better on the sideline as well so far, cooper bring dragged up and down the field and o Sullivan getting in on the scoring Gooch too far out from the goals
Wouldn’t completely agree, Kerry’s shooting has been absolutely woeful. When playing Dublin you have to take your chances. 8 wides(?) in 35 minutes is inexcusable in an AIF,
Congrats Dublin, the better side on the day
They should get rid of them clowns up in the studio and stick O’se and Whelao up there.
Come on utd
Carney already has O’Donoghue as his man of the match..
Never understood why they call it football. It should be called handball.
Because the foot kicks the ball? Derp!
Because it’s played on foot! The same reason Association Football is called football, American football is called football and rugby is called rugby football. The more you know *spreads hands in star motion*
Good game so far considering the conditions.
A.B.D
Deserved victory for Dublin, adapted to the conditions better and were unquestionably the better team on the day..faif pay to them..poor quality final..poor championsip.. (from the perspective of a neutral)
Well done best team won in the end to be honest it should hav been a bigger margin and they really should have three in a row by now by far the best team over the last three to four years.
Well done boys!! Up the Dubs!!
Martin carney is getting worried that Dublin might actually win
Dublin being a bit wasteful early on when they’re in shooting distance of a goal
Looks like donaghy is togged to start?????. Let the games begin
Get Paul Flynn off the pitch and this game would be put to bed.
I must have been at a different match . Paul Flynn was my man of the match