Serena Williams CRASHES OUT of the US Open in what is set to be her last ever match after three-set loss to Ajla Tomljanovic as 23-time Grand Slam winner bursts into tears after epic on Arthur Ashe
By MIKE DICKSON
Out of legs and out of time, Serena Williams’s glittering career met its end on the sport’s biggest stage.
On the enormous Arthur Ashe Stadium she met her final match in the shape of Ajla Tomljanovic, who eventually ran away with their US Open third round 7-5 6-7 6-1.
The record will show that Williams lost her last six games, but that would to be ignore three hours and four minutes of an excellent contest in which she breathed defiance until the end.
She just would not go away even when the situation was near hopeless at the end. In a last game that went on for nearly fifteen minutes she saved five match points, reeling off a series of forehand winners.
‘I tried but Ajla was better. Thank you Daddy I know you are watching, it all started with my parents and they deserve everything so I am really grateful to them,’ she said in an on court interview filled with emotion.
‘These are happy tears. Thank you Venus. It has been a fun ride.’
Early on the atmosphere was somewhat less feverish than the previous two matches, as if anticipation had now changed to this being another step on a fortnight’s journey
Tomljanovic walked out to general indifference from the crowd and, as now customary, had to sit and wait while a tribute video was played about her opponent before her rousing arrival.
Although a seasoned professional nothing can quite prepare a player for this. However the Croatian-Australian, 29, will have been stood in good stead by featuring in the night match at Wimbledon last year that saw Emma Raducanu retire.
She benefitted from a loose Williams opener to break, which quelled the initial enthusiasm of the crowd. It was only temporary as Williams broke back to love, firing them up again.
The American was hitting with impressive depth against a player who prefers to hit relatively straight down the court and the decibels rose when the six-times champion moved ahead for 5-3.
She looked a little tight, however, when trying to serve it out and that ignited a new level from Tomljanovic, who soon had two break points at 5-5 as she skilfully opened the court up.
A beautifully timed backhand down the line brought a second straight break. The Australian, whose game is uncomplicated, blasted her way to three set points and took the third one with forehand that looped onto the line after a couple of nervy errors.
Now Williams would have to come back from a set down for the first time in the week, testing her ageing legs.
