Venue Williams, the 43-year-old, who was making her 24th appearance at the Wimbledon, made an early exit from the competition as she succumbed to a defeat in straight sets to 6-4, 6-3 to Elina Svitolina in the opening round on Monday (July 3). The victory marks a formidable run of play for the Ukrainian tennis player Svitolina who marks a return to competitive tennis after returning from a maternity leave.
Despite being up against one of the veterans of the sport the 43-year-old Williams who been a five-time champion at the Grass Court Grand Slam, Svitolina showed great resilience to come out on top. Williams showed great grit and fight after overcoming a scary fall early in the course of the match, however, it was the ex-world number who clinched victory and secured a place in the second round of the championships.
It is pertinent to note that though the final score line suggests that it might have been a straightforward win for Svitolina, it was the American Williams who had initially taken a 2-0 lead in the first set. In the third game though, on Svitolina's break point, she slipped and took a fall at the nets after which she pit out a scream that was heard by everyone present at the court. However, she continued to be at the court despite already playing with a wrapped knee. It wasn't the best of conditions for Williams who was marking her return from an injury but such can be the nature of the sport.
Even though the senior of the Williams sister deserves all the praise for the way in which she continued the match, her 28-year-old opponent pounced on to the opportunity with both hands and brought up a fairly convincing win. In the second set, she initially took a 5-1 lead but Williams fought back to win back-to-back games. However, her spirited comeback was short-lived one as Svitolina took the second set 6-3 to take the match.