American legend Serena Williams’s dreams of winning an eighth Wimbledon singles title and equalling Margaret Court’s Grand Slam singles record of 24 ended in tears on Tuesday.
The 39-year-old was leading 3-1 in the first set of her first round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus when she slipped and had to have her left ankle examined.
Williams returned from receiving medical attention but called it a day at 3-3 and walked off Centre Court in tears. It is the first time that Williams has bowed out in the first round of Wimbledon.
William’s slip came at the same end of the court as that of Adrian Mannarino which brought a premature end to the Frenchman’s hard fought match with Roger Federer.
Mannarino slipped and fell late in the fourth set and pulled out at the beginning of the fifth set.
Federer remarked he felt that the surface was more slippery when the roof is in use which it had been due to rain earlier on Tuesday.
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