Wimbledon 2016: Serena in scrappy opening win!
Defending champion Serena Williams stuttered to a low-key and error-strewn 6-2 6-4 first-round victory over Swiss qualifier Amra Sadikovic on Tuesday at the 2016 Wimbledon.
Looking ill-at-ease, as though her quest for an elusive 22nd Grand Slam title was weighing heavily on her shoulders, Williams struggled with her serve.
She sprayed balls wide on both sides of the court, while she served three double faults in the fifth game of the first set.
It was Williams’s first match since she lost the French Open final to Garbine Muguruza this month and the American should have had few problems against Macedonian-born Sadikovic.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that her opponent was ranked 148th in the world and has little main Tour experience.
By turns urging herself on and telling herself off, Williams eventually secured match point when her opponent just missed a lob.
She then sealed victory after challenging a wrong call when her shot landed on the far baseline.
Hazard misses Belgium training at Euro
Eden Hazard sat out Belgium’s training session on Tuesday after picking up an injury during the 4-0 victory over Hungary.
The 25-year-old injured his quadricep in the first-half but is expected to be fit for Friday’s quarter-final against Wales in Lille.
The captain produced a virtuoso display in Belgium’s round-of-16 win, scoring and setting up Michy Batshuayi, and is key to his country’s chances of progressing to the semi-finals.
“That’s why I took him off,” Coach Marc Wilmots told journalists on Tuesday. “I think he’ll be backon Thursday.
“He’s working with the physios and he should be 100 per cent on Thursday.”
Thomas Vermaelen, suspended for Friday’s quarter-final in Lille, also missed the team’s training in Le Haillan on Tuesday, with Wilmots hoping that the rest will give the defender time to recover from niggling injuries.
For Wales there is good news as their captain, Ashley Williams, has taken part in their training session after suffering a shoulder injury in their victory over Northern Ireland.
