{"id":79159,"date":"2022-06-23T13:47:01","date_gmt":"2022-06-23T13:47:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=79159"},"modified":"2022-06-23T13:47:01","modified_gmt":"2022-06-23T13:47:01","slug":"its-onserena-williams-comeback-reaches-eastbourne-doubles-semis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=79159","title":{"rendered":"‘It’s OnSerena’: Williams comeback reaches Eastbourne doubles semis"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Sports Desk:<\/strong> Serena Williams stepped up her comeback as the American star powered to a second successive victory in the Eastbourne doubles with her partner Ons Jabeur on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Williams and Tunisia's Jabeur defeated Shuko Aoyama and Chan Hao-ching 6-2, 6-4 in the quarter-finals of the Wimbledon warm-up event at Devonshire Park.<\/p>\n

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Serena, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, is playing her first tournament since she made a tearful, injury-enforced exit from Wimbledon last year.<\/p>\n

Williams, 40, had initially looked rusty on her first appearance for 12 months in Tuesday's victory over Sara Sorribes Tormo and Marie Bouzkova.<\/p>\n

But she grew into that match and was more like her old self in the second step on her comeback trail.<\/p>\n

It took only two minutes for the American to send down an ace before several clinical volleys provided the first break.<\/p>\n

The opening set was wrapped up in 25 minutes and another break inspired by Serena in the ninth game of the second set put them on the brink of victory.<\/p>\n

One more ace for Williams' tally helped get her and Jabeur over the line and they are now just two victories away from securing the title.<\/p>\n

“I don't know if you know the team name? It's ‘OnSerena'!” Serena said of her partnership with Jabeur, who had never played with the American until this week.<\/p>\n

“I have had some really good training leading up to Wimbledon and up to this tournament, really hitting the ball well. I feel like I have been serving well so that's been really good.<\/p>\n

“It was actually good match play and match practice, which is exactly what I needed. I couldn't have asked for more.”<\/p>\n

Serena admitted on Tuesday that she had doubts if she would ever make it back after her injury lay-off, but her competitive juices are flowing again with Wimbledon on the horizon.<\/p>\n

“I will always enjoy the competitive side. There is a part of me that will always miss it, no matter what happens,” she said.<\/p>\n

“I was just recovering and taking time off, just taking mental breaks. Now when I'm back, it's like, especially this match in particular, OK, you really remember the competitiveness.”<\/p>\n

– Wimbledon wildcard –<\/p>\n

Before Williams made the surprise announcement of her return last week, rumours of retirement had swirled around her for several months.<\/p>\n

But with Wimbledon starting on June 27, Williams has finally resumed her career.<\/p>\n

She has been given a wildcard to play in the singles at Wimbledon as she restarts her history bid.<\/p>\n

Williams is one Grand Slam crown away from equalling Australian Margaret Court's record of 24 singles titles at the majors.<\/p>\n

The last of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles came at the Australian Open in 2017.<\/p>\n

Since then she has lost four Grand Slam finals, including at Wimbledon in 2018 and 2019.<\/p>\n

Williams won the seventh and most recent of her seven Wimbledon singles titles in 2016.<\/p>\n

Serena, who became a mother in 2017, has plummeted to 1,204th in the WTA rankings due to her period out of action.<\/p>\n

Earlier Wednesday, Petra Kvitova battled into the Eastbourne women's singles quarter-finals as the former Wimbledon champion fought back to beat Britain's Katie Boulter 5-7, 6-0, 7-5.<\/p>\n

Kvitova, who won Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014, was in danger of a shock defeat against Boulter after the world number 127 took the first set of their last-16 clash.<\/p>\n

Boulter had knocked out last year's Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Pliskova in the previous round.<\/p>\n

But former world number two Kvitova showed her class as she took the second set at a canter.<\/p>\n

The Czech, who last reached a Grand Slam final in Australia in 2019, held her nerve in a tense decider to win in two hours and 23 minutes.<\/p>\n

In the men's singles, Cameron Norrie defeated Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 6-2 for his first win on grass this season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sports Desk: Serena Williams stepped up her comeback as the American star powered to a second successive victory in the Eastbourne doubles with her partner Ons Jabeur on Wednesday. Williams and Tunisia’s Jabeur defeated Shuko Aoyama and Chan Hao-ching 6-2, 6-4 in the quarter-finals of the Wimbledon warm-up event at Devonshire Park. Serena, a 23-time […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":79160,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n