LONDON (AP) 鈥� There were still serves beyond 120 mph. Plenty of heavy groundstrokes landing within inches of the baseline, too.
won plenty of praise about her game from her fellow players at a day after .
The 44-year-old Williams was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 by 20-year-old of Australia in the first round on Tuesday but showed she could be competitive after being away for so long.
Coco Gauff ended her dinner early to find somewhere to watch Williams.
鈥淚 think Serena鈥檚 level was insane,” Gauff said Wednesday. “It proves even more how she鈥檚 the GOAT despite age and all that. I don鈥檛 know how she can play that level not playing for four years. I was already nervous not playing two weeks before this tournament. I couldn鈥檛 imagine four years.
鈥淚 just love her. I love her fight. And the serve is unbelievable,鈥� Gauff added after her second-round win. 鈥淵ou just look at her and you think, 鈥橳his is like 10 years ago.’ It鈥檚 really insane. I think it was cool for the sport.鈥�
The 87th-ranked Joint was in the top 30 earlier this year.
鈥淢aya played top-10, top-5 tennis. Obviously she鈥檚 a great player,鈥� Gauff said. 鈥淪he seems like an even, chill girl. I do think if anyone was ready for the moment, it would be her.鈥�
Williams announced on Wednesday that she tweaked her right knee toward the end of the first set but said she still hopes to play doubles with sister Venus later in the week.
Serena, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion who won seven of her titles at Wimbledon, did not ask for medical treatment during the match and did not meet with media afterward.
鈥淪erena tweaked her right knee at the end of the first set and was therefore excused from her media obligations by the Wimbledon and WTA medical teams,鈥� said Jill Smoller, Williams鈥� agent. 鈥淪he left site that night unaided and is doing everything she can to be ready for her doubles match later this week.鈥�
, 鈥淚t felt so good to be back on the grass (at) Wimbledon. I鈥檓 incredibly thankful for the wild card 鈥� and even more grateful my daughters got to see that it鈥檚 never too late to chase something you love.
鈥淐ongratulations to Maya Joint on a great match, and thank you to everyone who showed up and showed me so much love. That feeling will never get old,鈥� Williams added.
Serena received wild card invitations from Wimbledon organizers to play both singles and doubles with Venus.
Serena has said that having off from school inspired her comeback and it marked the first time that her youngest daughter, Adira, who is almost 3, saw her play singles. Adira sat next to her 8-year-old sister, Olympia in the front row of Serena鈥檚 players鈥� box.
, Williams’ husband, wrote on social media: 鈥淥ur little family is so proud of you (at)serenawilliams 鈥� even though it wasn鈥檛 the outcome you wanted, you鈥檙e an inspiration. We love you鈥� He added that the kids 鈥渁re also happy they got to stay up a bit past their bedtime.鈥�
Four-time Grand Slam champion also paid tribute on social media: 鈥淚 really wonder if Serena and Venus know how much they mean to us,鈥� Osaka posted.
Then after winning her second-round match, Osaka discussed watching Serena play.
鈥淭he montages that they had before the match started made me really emotional because I feel like I鈥檝e watched her growing up,鈥� Osaka said. 鈥淣ow I feel like I鈥檓 grown up and I get the privilege of watching her again. So it was really cool.鈥�
Fellow American Tommy Paul watched, too.
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty impressive at her age,鈥� Paul said. 鈥淪he was striking the ball pretty well, returning pretty well. I thought she was going to go after it a little bit more. … I think it would have helped her a lot to have maybe a match of singles before coming out to Wimbledon. But she鈥檚 Serena. She can do whatever she wants.鈥�
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