Serena Williams advanced to the third round of Wimbledon after losing the first set, but eventually beating 18-year-old qualifier Kaja Juvan of Slovenia. The final scores read 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 in favor of Williams who is already a seven-time Wimbledon Champion. In the next round of the tournament, Williams will be facing the current No. 18, Julia Goerges, in something that will be a sort of rematch from last year’s semifinal where Williams won.
The last time Serena Williams won a title was in 2017 when she beat her older sister Venus Williams in the final of the Australian Open. However, following that victory in 2018, she lost in the finals of both the United States Open and Wimbledon.
— on Big Stages Like This, Serena Williams Has More Experience Though
Williams’s opponent, Kava Juvan, is actually still in high school and had to take time off to enter the Grand Slam. Williams lost the first set by hitting the ball into the net on set point. After that set, however, Williams won the remaining two sets without many errors. She finished with 25 winners against 26 unforced errors.
The stage was a familiar one for Williams though. Juvan, on the other hand, was in her 2nd ever Grand Slam. Before facing Williams, Juvan had played and defeated 15-year-old Coco Gauff during the final qualifying round of the French Open. This second round also saw the older Williams sister off. Venus Williams was beaten by Coco Gauff in the first round at Wimbledon.
For the past 2 years, Serena Williams has been dealing with health issues that may have immensely affected her results. Thus far, she has played 13 events without winning a title. In that time she has gone a total 31-9 and 24-4 at majors. More importantly, Williams is looking to become the fourth mother in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam title. The last time she was a mother was in 2017.
As at February of 2019, Williams made the following statement in an interview as she looks forward to making a major comeback this year.
I am better now. Haven’t felt this way since February. I just feel so thankful and I am happy, and now I get to play with my baby. And it’s fun, I get to do everything I love.
Serena Williams
The current World Number 1, Ash Barty, is already in the third round of the competition after beating Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck 6-1, 6-4. In the other high profile game between current Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber and Lauren Davis, Davis saw off the champion in a 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 win.
Maybe Williams can go as far as she desires in this tournament to grab her place in history with a record-tying 24 Grand Slam Title with the legendary Margaret Court. So far, her hopes look very much alive.