London, July 1 -- Australia's Maya Joint held her nerve to spoil the long-awaited Wimbledon singles comeback of Serena Williams, defeating the seven-time champion 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3 in a gripping first-round contest on Centre Court.
The 20-year-old world No. 87 produced the biggest win of her career to eliminate the 23-time Grand Slam champion, who was playing her first singles match at a major in 1,397 days after last competing at the 2022 US Open.
Maya, who had never previously won a Wimbledon main-draw match and arrived at the Championships on an 11-match Tour-level losing streak, displayed remarkable composure against one of the sport's greatest players. She broke Serena's serve five times and struck 10 aces during the two-hour, 22-minu...