*Unfortunately, Serena Williams went down in flames at Wimbledon on Saturday. Her loss to Simona Halep is being characterized as the greatest defeat in her Grand Slam career. Her loss came in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2.
Here’s the breakdown via USA Today:
— Prior to Saturday, Williams had won five games in the two worst losses of her major tournament career. At the 2011 U.S. Open, Williams fell to Samantha Stosure in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, and at Wimbledon in 2004, she fell to Maria Sharapova in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4.
— Halep took the momentum early and never looked back. She came firing out of the gate, winning the first four games of the first set.
— While Halep was dominant, Williams defeated herself a bit in this one. She had 26 unforced errors, while Halep had just three. Williams gave up the same number of errors in her second-round Wimbledon victory, but Halep had the skills to take advantage of them on the big stage Saturday.
— Williams averaged a first-serve speed of 104 mph Saturday. While that appears high, it’s on the lower end for the 23-time Grand Slam winner. She averaged a serve of nearly 108 mph in her other Wimbledon matches this year.
— Williams, 37, has struggled to make her mark in Grand Slam competition in recent years. She hasn’t taken a major title since winning the Australian Open in 2017. She’ll have another chance at the U.S. Open, which starts Aug. 26.
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