Published 14:54 IST, June 22nd 2022
Mystery detail in Serena Williams' winning return leaves netizens scratching heads
Serena Williams teamed up with Ons Jabeur to beat Marie Bouzkova and Sara Sorribes Tormo 2-6, 6-3, 13-11 and advance to the second round of Eastbourne event.
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Serena Williams made a competitive return to tennis, winning her doubles match in Eastbourne tennis event ahead of Wimbledon 2022. The 23-time Grand Slam champion teamed up with Ons Jabeur to beat Marie Bouzkova and Sara Sorribes Tormo 2-6, 6-3, 13-11 to advance to the second round of the tournament. Besides the victory in her first match, Serena Williams also made headlines for three black patches on her right cheek, which left everyone puzzled.
Serena Williams' return: Netizens react to three black patches on her cheek
Serena Williams appears to have two large black bandages or some type of tape on her face. No idea what that's about.
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) June 21, 2022
A lady there said that one of Serena’s male trainers walked up to her during practice and put that tape on her face. Maybe some kind of good luck thing??? 🤷🏾♀️
— Morgan Elliott (@MorganElliott9) June 21, 2022
Ok…someone tell me what’s w/the tape on Serena’s face?!
— G Campbell (@GCampbellll) June 21, 2022
I saw it in earlier tweets when she was practicing w/ONS but I didn’t say anything. 🐐 #twentyfour 💪🏼
Can someone explain we why Serena has pieces of tape on her face?
— Darth Talon headpiece (@Pawel_Luki) June 21, 2022
Has anyone figured out why Serena’s got tape on her face?
— R 🌹🏴 (@ChronicallyT) June 21, 2022
@SaifSmacks Why does Serena have kinesio tape on her face?
— David Bojalad (@Bojalad) June 21, 2022
Speaking of the match, Serena Williams was making just her third appearance and made a slow start to the game alongside Jabeur. Williams scored the first point of the match with her opening serve which was clocked at 90 mph (145 kph).
Having not taken to court for 12 months, Williams struggled in the first set, and looked irritated after she was unable to get low enough to a face shot by Sorribes Tormo. Williams finally managed to hit a winner after 25 minutes, with a smash. Williams’ agility improved in the second set, though she slipped while rushing into the net.
The former World No 1 set up a set point with a backhand winner from the baseline and took the match to a tiebreaker. Williams showed a desire to dive to her right to make a volley which could not be returned, that set up one of the three-match points. The win was clinched when Sorribes Tormo miscued a volley.
Serena Williams' Wimbledon record
The 40-year-old Serena Williams did not feature in the WTA tour since her first-round exit at Wimbledon last year due to injury. In 2021, Williams lost her footing on the slick grass and then her right leg buckled, leading to just the second mid-match retirement at any Grand Slam tournament of her career, and first since 1998.
However, this year the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) decided to give her a wildcard entry into Wimbledon 2022 tournament. Williams has won seven Wimbledon championships, with her last title coming in 2016. The American was the runner-up at the All England Club back in 2018 and 2019. The tournament was cancelled in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
14:54 IST, June 22nd 2022