LONDON: American legend Serena Williams’s dreams of winning an eighth Wimbledon singles title and equalling Margaret Court’s Grand Slam singles record of 24 ended in tears on Tuesday.
The 39-year-old was leading 3-1 in the first set of her first round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus when she slipped and had to have her left ankle examined.
Williams returned from receiving medical attention but called it a day at 3-3 and walked off Center Court in tears.
It is the first time that Williams has bowed out in the first round of Wimbledon.
The tears said it all as with the withdrawals of 2019 champion Simona Halep and of Naomi Osaka prior to the tournament the American would have fancied her chances of at last equalling the controversial Court’s landmark.
Williams was giving the Olympics a miss anyways giving her time to recover ahead of the US Open in September which she has won six times.
“Brutal for @serenawilliams but center court is extremely slippy out there. Not easy to move out there,” tweeted British star Andy Murray.
Williams, who also had strapping on her right thigh, hasn’t won a Slam since the 2017 Australian Open.
William’s slip came at the same end of the court as that of Adrian Mannarino which brought a premature end to the Frenchman’s hard fought match with Roger Federer.
Mannarino slipped and fell late in the fourth set and pulled out at the beginning of the fifth set.
Federer remarked he felt that the surface was more slippery when the roof is in use which it had been due to rain earlier on Tuesday.
Serena Williams retires in tears from Wimbledon first round match
https://arab.news/54w32
Serena Williams retires in tears from Wimbledon first round match
- Serena Williams slipped in first set against Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich and had to have her left ankle examined
- Williams walked off Centre Court in tears in her first time bowing out of Wimbledon’s first round
Invincible no more, Bayern aims to make amends against Hamburg in Bundesliga
- Bayern made a record start to the league through 18 rounds
- Jamal Musiala scored from a narrow angle in Wednesday’s win over PSV Eindhoven
BERLIN: Bundesliga opponents suddenly know Bayern Munich are beatable after Augsburg’s shock win over the league leader last weekend.
Promoted Hamburger SV will be the first team to test this new reality when Bayern visit on Saturday.
Like Augsburg before, Hamburg have not shown much to suggest they can pull off an upset.
Merlin Polzin’s team have not won a game since early December after beating Werder Bremen in the Northern derby and they haven’t scored in their last two games.
Bayern, which routed Hamburg 5-0 in the reverse fixture, made a record start to the league through 18 rounds and will be keen to reassert their superiority after Augsburg’s 2-1 win derailed their bid to complete the season unbeaten.
It was Bayern’s first league defeat since last March.
“The crucial thing will be our reaction to it,” Joshua Kimmich said.
Key matchups
Coach-less Eintracht Frankfurt host Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday. Frankfurt haven’t had much to cheer of late but they did snap their run of conceding three goals in every game this year when they lost only 2-0 to Tottenham in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The club are reportedly close to signing coach Albert Riera from Slovenian league leader NK Celje as Dino Toppmöller’s replacement.
High-flying Hoffenheim host Union Berlin on Saturday. Christian Ilzer’s team are third and well positioned for Champions League qualification after four straight wins and just one defeat in 14 Bundesliga games.
Leipzig and Stuttgart are level on points in their duel for fourth place, the last for Champions League qualification. Leipzig host improving Mainz on Saturday before Stuttgart entertain Freiburg on Sunday.
Players to watch
Borussia Dortmund forward Serhou Guirassy missed a big chance against Inter Milan on Wednesday and appears to have lost the confidence that helped him amass 70 goals in 119 Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund, Stuttgart and Cologne. He scored 21 Bundesliga goals for Dortmund last season and has only six so far in 2025-26.
Guirassy will get another chance against last-placed Heidenheim on Sunday.
He’s back
Bayern’s Jamal Musiala scored from a narrow angle in Wednesday’s win over PSV Eindhoven, his first goal since returning from a broken leg.
Former Real Madrid star Lucas Vázquez scored his first goal for Leverkusen to beat Werder Bremen 1-0 last weekend. He set up another goal in the Champions League on Wednesday. The 34-year-old Vázquez missed much of the season with injury but is now an option for Kasper Hjulmand’s side.
Edin Džeko scored on his Schalke debut last weekend, when he became the oldest player to score in Germany’s second division at 39 years, 314 days. He could start against Bochum on Saturday.
Who is out?
Leverkusen’s Eliesse Ben Seghir was diagnosed with a ligament injury in his left ankle after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations with Morocco. But Burkina Faso defender Edmond Tapsoba is making progress on his comeback.
Off the field
Hamburg suspended French winger Jean-Luc Dompé “until further notice” for drink driving after police detected alcohol with a breathalyzer test at a traffic stop on Sunday. The club said in a statement they will “decide on further consequences after further internal deliberations.”
