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IMAGE: Serena Williams performs a forehand. {Photograph}: Mike Hewitt/Getty Photos
Serena Williams made a successful return to motion on the Eastbourne Worldwide on Tuesday as she and companion Ons Jabeur got here from a set all the way down to beat Sara Sorribes Tormo and Marie Bouzkova 2-6, 6-3 (13-11) within the ladies’s doubles.
The previous world primary had not performed aggressive tennis since limping out of final yr’s first-round match at Wimbledon — the place she has gained seven of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles — in tears attributable to a leg damage.
Again on courtroom and on the grass once more, Williams stepped up preparations for Wimbledon, the place the principle draw begins subsequent Monday, having been granted a wildcard to enter, alongside Tunisian Jabeur within the opening spherical at Eastbourne.
IMAGE: Serena Williams interacts with Ons Jabeur of Tunisia throughout their doubles match.{Photograph}: Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Photos for LTA
Wanting rusty with some unfastened early photographs, 40-year-old Williams, who has slipped to 1204th within the singles rankings, noticed her serve damaged within the fourth recreation and there was no means again as Spaniard Sorribes Tormo and her Czech companion took the opening set.
Williams, who was sporting black tape on her face to assist with a sinus drawback, had no reply as Sorribes and Bouzkova made three successive breaks at first of the second to assist put them in a commanding place.
Nonetheless, a ferocious volley from Williams helped her and Jabeur maintain serve to make it 4-3, earlier than the American confirmed additional indicators she was beginning to discover her rhythm with a booming forehand down the road to interrupt their opponents’ serve.
Williams served out the following recreation to take the match to a remaining set tiebreak, which swung this manner and that, with each pairings having match factors earlier than Sorribes Tormo missed a volley on the web to reward her opponents victory.
“It was so enjoyable to play with Ons,” Williams mentioned. “We had enjoyable.”
“I caught some hearth behind me! I wanted that. It was good. We’re simply taking it sooner or later at a time.”
Earlier at Eastbourne, British quantity 4 Katie Boulter stormed to one of many greatest wins of her profession with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Pliskova, whereas Jodie Burrage accomplished a day to recollect for Britain by beating world quantity 4 Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-3.
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