Wimbledon Championships

BAK · 2011-06-22T17:24:10+00:00

Wimbledon Championships Venue: All England Club, London Date: 20 June-3 July Coverage: Live on BBC One, Two, 3D, HD, Red Button, online (UK only), Radio 5 live, 5 live sports extra; live text commentary from 0900 BST on BBC Sport website (#bbctennis); watch again on iPlayer Venus is making her comeback from an injury lay-off Venus Williams was made to battle to overcome the unseeded Kimiko Date-Krumm in an extraordinary second-round match played under the Centre Court roof. The five-time Wimbledon champion eventually prevailed 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 8-6 in an epic two hours and 55 minutes. An upset looked on the cards when Date-Krumm raced to a 5-1 lead before winning the first set on a tie-break. But Williams bounced back to win the second set with ease and then clinched it in the 14th game of the third set. The 31-year-old American admitted the opening set was tough, telling BBC Sport: "I just couldn't get in the game. "She plays so well, every ball hits the baseline. I give her a lot of credit and I'm delighted to come through." The tale which was unfolding under the Centre Court roof looked set to be a scriptwriter's dream as the world number 57, a former top 10 player who had retired in 1996 only to return to the fold after a 12-year absence, outwitted her more-celebrated and younger opponent. Centre Court was stunned to silence when the 40-year-old former Wimbledon semi-finalist broke the Williams serve in the first and third games. Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams is pleased to make it through her tough Centre Court encounter with Kimiko Date-Krumm. (UK users only) The evergreen Date-Krumm, combining baseline aggression with deftness at the net, was causing her illustrious opponent - albeit one who has only recently returned to court after five months out with injury - all sorts of problems. Date-Krumm moved to within a game of clinching the first set at break-neck speed, but Williams, dogged and determined, dragged herself back into contention. The American won four games on the trot - surviving two set points in the eighth game - as a remarkable opening set went back on serve. The Japanese veteran looked to be wilting under the Williams resurgence, but she calmly repelled a Williams set point to take the first set to a topsy-turvy tie-break. The Centre Court crowd was agog - some were on their feet, applauding Date-Krumm's Herculean effort to win the tie-break after she had previously squandered seven set points in the first set. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Date-Krumm was unable to maintain the momentum, with Williams breaking early in the second set, when her opponent fumbled a volley, to take a 3-1 lead. Williams was finding form and broke again in the ninth game to clinch the second set with ease. By the third set, Date-Krumm's fairytale start was in danger of turning into a hazy memory as Williams broke in the second game but she broke back immediately to put a nerve-jangling third set back on serve. Date-Krumm was forced to serve to stay in the match in the ninth game, and did so fearlessly - a deft volley at the net and a wayward Williams forehand helping her level at 5-5. It was a question of who would crack first, Williams nearly did in the 13th game but survived to win the match. The players left their stage to a standing ovation, the crowd appreciative of their contribution to a match which will live long in the memory.

Thread starter BAK
Start date Jun 22, 2011

BAK

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Wimbledon Championships

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