Black Tennis Pros

EASTBOURNE, United Kingdom (AFP) — Serena Williams hit the wall in her career comeback at Eastbourne Wednesday after only one victory, with top seed Vera Zvonareva sending the American back to the practise courts.

The Russian's 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 three-hour triumph was revenge for a Wimbledon final a year ago won by Williams, now ranked 26th after nearly a year out of the game.

Williams was appearing in Eastbourne for the first time after two operations on a foot she cut after last year's Wimbledon followed by further surgery in February to remove blood clots from her lungs.

Zvonareva lost to the American in the last match Williams played prior to this week, the All-England club final nearly 50 weeks ago.

"It was definitely tough," said the winner, also a US Open finalist last autumn.

"Serena is such a champion. She's making an unbelievable comeback. We had a battle out there."

Williams served for a straight-set victory leading 5-4 in the second set only to double-fault it away.

That gave Zvonareva new life, with the Russian showing mental strength in a see-saw contest as Williams struggled in saving 15 or 21 break points and producing seven double-faults.

After squaring the sets, Zvonareva, who held a 5-2 lead at one point, was unable to convert on three match points in the tenth game of the third, dropping serve for 5-all.

But the relieved Russian re-broke a game later and finally served out the victory.

"I was trying my best, everything was tough. I'm happy with how I played and I'm very happy to get this win," said Zvonareva.

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Ana Ivanovic

Venus Williams, who beat No.8 seed Andrea Petkovic on Monday in her first match in four and a half months, was the first of the two to take Centre Court, and took just 62 minutes for a 63 62 win over Ana Ivanovic. The 30-year-old, who turns 31 on Friday, is now 7-1 lifetime against Ivanovic.

"I was happy to have those clean service games and not a lot of errors," Williams said. "I thought she played really well. When she had a chance to strike the ball she hit the corners. I felt good to be able to get on top of her today. I feel I'm playing well on the big points - these matches have been crucial for me to get back, literally in the swing of things."

Williams was asked about Eastbourne - this is her first trip there since 1998. "When the Sun shines, it's gorgeous. I don't remember too much from back in the days. I remember it rained a lot here, so we were forced to stay in. We didn't really get to do anything, just kind of waiting to practice or play a match. This year I've had the opportunity to go out a little bit more. I quite like it, actually. I took a walk around town a little bit. I had a couple karaoke spots but didn't get a chance to go."

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EASTBOURNE, England - The last time Venus Williams played on the WTA it was in January at the Aussie Open, where she had to retire after one game of her third round match due to a hip injury - since then she has been out with that hip injury as well as an abdominal injury. She returns this week at Eastbourne and met the press on the weekend - here's a taste of what she said...

On her injury lay-off finally coming to an end...

"I'm very excited - I can't believe I've finally made it. This time I listened to the doctor's advice and accepted limits... it's hard as an athlete to accept limits, but it was all about that. I never could have foreseen the amount of time I had to take off and there were frustrating moments, but I never let it get me down."


On how she spent the last four and a half months...

"After I got injured in January I made the best use of my time when I was off. I entered school, took some classes and worked on my businesses. I also went to the gym and tried to do my rehab. Initially my goal was to play in Miami but that wasn't even close... It took me a good two and a half months to build up to get here now. Sometimes I wouldn't improve for three weeks, sometimes I'd improve in a week - I feel pretty fit now. I've never given myself a 10 out of 10, but I'm back as soon as I could be. I've taken extra weeks to be really sure."

On missing tennis...

"I've missed tennis. It has been so kind to me. I love my sport and I love my job. I really appreciate being here; it's an honor for me to be here."

On playing in Eastbourne for the first time in 13 years...

"I haven't played here in forever. I can't tell you how excited I am to be here and playing any first round match."

On she and Serena coming back at the same tournament...

"Serena hasn't played in a year and I've only played three or four tournaments in the last 12 months. It's crucial for us to play these matches at this point. We normally take this period to go home, rest and train, but for us right now the best preparation is to be here. We're going to do our best to take home two titles on this road - that's what we aim for every time we hit the court."

On the current No.1 player in the world, Caroline Wozniacki...

"Caroline is a great player doing positive things - she's really on the right road. She doesn't need much advice. Off the court she's a very nice person and super helpful; on the court she's an unbelievable competitor. She has played more consistently than anyone and is leaps and bounds ahead in the points."


On her goal this week...

"Whoever is across the net is my focus at that point. You can't predict who is going to do what... My sole concern is to make sure I'm in the next round."

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Serena Williams looked relaxed at Eastbourne as she prepared to play her first competitive tennis since winning the Wimbledon crown last year.

Her hair streaked with Wimbledon purple and wearing a striking pair of stripy leggings, Serena and sister Venus brought excitement to a normally sedate tournament on the south coast.

When the sisters compete in the AEGON International next week, it will also be Venus's first competitive tennis since the Australian Open in January.

The pair hit for an hour each on an outside court at Devonshire Park. Venus was up first before then taking pictures of her sister on her phone and signing autographs for the dozen or so people watching.

Serena looked in particularly good form, amazing for someone who had emergency surgery to remove a blood clot from her lung in March.

Both looked in decent physical shape as they were coached by father Richard, though Venus, with a strapped right wrist, took a tumble on the damp grass.

The venue will take some getting used to for the world stars, with the changing rooms' basic facilities in some old squash courts and rain forecast for much of next week.
Eastbourne was alerted about the sisters' participation by a confidential email which arrived in the middle of the night last Saturday.

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Venus and Serena Williams during doubles win at Wimbledon 2009

Just when American tennis had reached its lowest point in the Open era, the Williams sisters have announced they both plan to return next week to competition after long layoffs, expecting to play the Eastbourne tuneup tournament on grass and then Wimbledon.

Serena Williams, in particular, was a question mark. She hasn't played competitively since capturing the Wimbledon title last summer and soon afterward stepping on a shard of glass at a Munich restaurant. Serena endured two rounds of surgery for cuts to her foot, then an emergency procedure in March to remove a blood clot from her lungs, a frightening condition.

Serena Williams released a statement through her agent, Jill Smoller, confirming her intention to play again beginning with the first round at Eastbourne next Tuesday. Wimbledon starts the following Monday, June 20, when Serena Williams would likely play on the first day as defending champion.

"I am so excited to be healthy enough to compete," Serena said. "These past 12 months have been extremely tough and character building. I have so much to be grateful for. I'm thankful to my family, friends and fans for their support. Serena's back!"

Venus Williams, meanwhile, has not played since retiring during a third round match at the Australian Open in January due to a hip injury.

In the absence of the Williams sisters, no American man or woman has contended for any major title, and none made it into the second week at the French Open. Mardy Fish is now the top-ranked U.S. men's player at No. 9. Serena and Venus are still ranked among the highest of American women. Serena is 25th and Venus is 32nd, while Bethanie Mattek-Sands is at No. 31.

Serena, 29, has won 13 majors, including four Wimbledons. Venus, 30, has won seven majors, including five Wimbledons. Together, they have captured nine of the past 11 Wimbledon titles.

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