Serena Williams on Tuesday made a winning return to Grand Slam tennis that was as memorable as her body-hugging black catsuit when she reached the Roland Garros second round.
The 36-year-old downed Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 to register her first victory at the majors since her Australian Open triumph last year.
“I missed Roland Garros so much; I missed the battle,” Williams said after playing her first clay-court match since finishing runner-up to Garbine Muguruza in the 2016 final.
Photo: AFP
As for her outfit, Williams said it is much more than a fashion statement — the aim was to protect her because of past bouts with blood clots.
There was also a message she wanted to send about self-worth and feeling powerful as she returned to Grand Slam action about nine months after giving birth.
“It feels like this suit represents all the women that have been through a lot mentally, physically, with their body to come back and have confidence and to believe in themselves,” Williams said. “I definitely feel like it is an opportunity for me to inspire a whole different group of amazing women and kids.”
“I call it, like, my Wakanda-inspired catsuit,” referring to the fictional nation in Black Panther. “We designed it way before the movie, but still, it kind of reminds me of that.”
While Williams grabbed the headlines, there were wins and a few scares for 10-time champion Rafael Nadal and two-time winner Maria Sharapova.
Nadal racked up his 80th win in Paris by seeing off Italian lucky loser Simone Bolelli 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (11/9).
Sharapova, playing in the tournament for the first time in three years, battled from a 0-3 deficit in the final set to beat Dutch qualifier Richel Hogenkamp 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.
Williams had arrived at Roland Garros with just four matches under her belt this year, the last of which was in Miami in March.
World No. 1 Nadal had been two sets up, but 0-3 down in the third to Bolelli when rain caused the tie to be suspended late on Monday.
He on Tuesday quickly leveled at 3-3 and saved four break points in the eighth game, before saving four set points in the breaker.
The top seed eventually claimed victory on a third match point, when Bolelli dumped a forehand into the net.
Nadal next faces Argentina’s Guido Pella.
“I really suffered today, but it was a good test,” Nadal said.
Sharapova also survived a scare to claim a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Hogenkamp, ranked 133rd.
Sharapova, the 28th seed, is to face Croatia’s Donna Vekic in the second round.
“I love the challenge of being in a Grand Slam draw and figuring out a way to win,” Sharapova said after a match that was pushed back from Monday.
The 31-year-old, five-time major champion took just 24 minutes to win the first set of a match that was delayed due to thunderstorms, but threw away a 3-1 lead in the second.
Sharapova was staring down the barrel of falling at the first hurdle, but the former world No. 1 dug deep and reeled off six straight games to edge into round two.
Additional reporting by AP
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