India, July 1 -- Four years after what many assumed was her final bow, 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams made a highly anticipated return to Wimbledon's Centre Court. The 44-year-old fell 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3 to 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint in a hard-fought, three-set thriller, but while the match itself ended in a first-round defeat, the electrifying atmosphere and flashes of Williams' vintage brilliance proved that her competitive fire still burns brightly.

Williams' game was a fascinating contradiction of muscle memory and physical limitations. Understandably rusty, after more than a thousand days away from the circuit, she made full use of her legendary serve as a potent weapon, occasionally topping 120 mph and ...