Serena Williams, ninth in the world and looking for the record of the 24 Grand Slam titles, was eliminated this Friday in the third round.
Serena Williams, ninth in the world and looking for the record of the 24 Grand Slam titles, was eliminated this Friday in the third round of the Australian Open by the Chinese Qiang Wang (29) 6-4, 6-7 (2 / 7), 7-5.
The 38-year-old American, seven-time champion in Melbourne, committed too many direct fouls (Wang's 56 against 20) against a very strong opponent. And that had defeated her 6-1, 6-0 in 44 minutes during his last game, in the final quarter of the last US Open.
"My team always thought I could get it. After my defeat at the US Open, I worked hard on and off the track and it was really a good job," said the Chinese, who will face Tunisian Ons Jabeur (78th ) for a place in the quarterfinals in Melbourne.
"In the second set I lost my lucidity, but I kept calm, my mind told me to stay focused," she added.
The youngest of the Williams sisters had not been eliminated so early in Melbourne since 2006. In 2011 and 2018 she did not play the tournament.