'Just wow!' - Harmony Tan comes back to beat Serena Williams in the Wimbledon first round in an all-time classic
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ByEurosport
Updated 29/06/2022 at 05:19 GMT
It was the first time that Serena Williams had been seen on a singles court since bowing out of Wimbledon with injury in 2021. Williams struggled at the beginning but in the end she put together a fightback but it wasn't enough as Tan produced the better tennis to win an all-time classic spectacle. Watch daily highlights from Wimbledon at 10pm on Eurosport 2 and discovery+
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Harmony Tan and Serena Williams produced one of the great Wimbledon matches as the former ended the latter's comeback in heartbreak, beating the seven-time champion 7-5 1-6 7-6(7) in an all-time classic.
"I'm so emotional now," Tan said after the shock victory.
"[Serena] is a superstar and when I was young I was watching her so many times on the TV.
"For my first Wimbledon, it's wow. Just wow.
"When I saw the draw I was really scared. Because it's Serena Williams, she's a legend and I was like 'oh my god how can I play, and if I could win one or two games it was really good for me!'
"I would like to thank everybody today and my team and my coach Nathalie Tauziat, who also played Serena. Thank you so much for being with me."
Tan started much the better as Williams’ rust of not having played a singles match since Wimbledon last year showed.
The 24-year-old used the court to her benefit, trying to get Williams moving to try and take advantage of her lack of match fitness.
But Williams stepped up a gear in the second set and her class came through as she blew Tan away 6-1 to take it to a decider.
Tan battled back in the second but a critical break from Williams gave her the chance to serve for the win, but her opponent broke back in dramatic fashion.
Both players had chances to take the win, but it was decided by a tie-break that was eventually taken by Tan in an epic three-hour, 10-minute contest.
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Watch daily highlights from Wimbledon at 10pm on Eurosport 2 and discovery+ from June 27, as well as the two singles finals live on July 9 and 10.
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