Tennis-Serena Williams falls in third round of U.S. Open, retirement expected By Reuters

By Steve Keating

NEW YORK (Reuters) -A defiant Serena Williams bid an emotional goodbye to the U.S. Open with a third-round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday, in what might have been the final singles match of her glittering profession.

Defeat has all the time been exhausting to swallow for the fiercely aggressive Williams and little question the 7-5 6-7 (4) 6-1 loss to the forty sixth ranked Australian stung her to her core.

However after a joyous run into the third spherical there was no disgrace in a loss to the gritty Tomljanovic, permitting the 23-times Grand Slam winner to exit with dignity intact and head held excessive.

Her three matches, highlighted by a second-round win over world quantity two Anett Kontaveit, have been a present to her followers, the relentless by no means give up angle that made her tennis’ dominant participant for over 20 years on show proper till the very remaining level.

“Clearly I am nonetheless succesful,” Williams instructed reporters. “Nevertheless it takes much more than that.

“I am able to be a mother, discover a special model of Serena.

“Technically on the planet I am nonetheless tremendous younger, so I need to have slightly little bit of a life whereas I am nonetheless strolling.

“I’ve such a brilliant future forward of me.”

At all times up for a battle, the 40-year-old got here out swinging, forcing Tomljanovic to go the space.

The Australian wanted six match factors to ship the knockout punch and convey an finish to an engrossing three-plus-hour slugfest.

Williams had signalled her intention to retire in a Vogue article in early August, saying she was “evolving away from tennis” however by no means confirming the U.S. Open as her remaining occasion.

Given the chance to place hypothesis to relaxation that the U.S. Open is probably not the top, Williams left the door open only a crack.

Requested whether or not she may be tempted to return to tennis, she responded: “I don’t suppose so however you by no means know.”

“I all the time did love Australia, although,” she later instructed reporters, hinting at a tilt on the Australian Open in January.

For followers, nevertheless, the message was clear, the U.S. Open can be the place Williams would take her remaining bow.

The raucous New York crowd that had backed her from the very starting and over time, fuelling her runs to 6 U.S. Open titles, was in her nook as soon as once more however couldn’t elevate her to at least one extra win.

Tomljanovic, who’s but to win a WTA Tour match, appeared to have had little probability in opposition to Williams, winner of 73 profession titles, however wouldn’t be intimidated.

Earlier than stepping out onto heart court docket Tomljanovic paused for a second and touched the plaque quoting Billie Jean King that hangs on the entrance: “Strain is a Privilege”.

Regardless of an electrical ambiance the match obtained off to a sluggish begin with the gamers buying and selling breaks earlier than settling in.

Williams had regarded to grab management when she broke Tomljanovic to go forward 5-3 and serving for the set.

However with Williams two factors from a 1-0 lead Tomljanovic dug in, breaking again and sweeping 4 straight video games to steal the set, leaving the stadium surprised.

A defiant Williams, as she has completed so many instances, lifted her recreation hitting again in ruthless model within the second and breaking the Australian twice on the way in which to 4-0.

Enjoying her fourth match in 5 nights, Williams abruptly appeared to expire of gasoline and Tomljanovic, displaying some metal of her personal, pulled stage at 5-5 because the set moved to a tie-break.

Everybody inside Arthur Ashe, now on their toes, knew Williams was not going to exit with no battle, and working on fumes dug into her reserves to take the tie-break 7-4.

Williams had the gang roaring once more when she broke Tomljanovic to begin the third however merely had nothing left within the tank. The Australian put the former-world quantity on the ropes, storming by way of the following 4 video games for a 4-1 lead.

However Williams was not going at hand Tomljanovic the win, she must earn it, needing six match factors to get the job completed.