It is hard enough to come back from being a set down to win the entire match. What’s more impressive is to win the match after losing the first set by 0-6. Only a few great players have done it to date, and Serena Williams has achieved the same twice in her career. A YouTube account ‘Serena Williams Page’ shared a video of those two instances recently.
The first instance was at the 2007 Miami Open final. Serena Williams was up against her archrival back then, Justin-Henin. Much to the disappointment of the crowd, Henin got her dream start. She won the first set 6-0, and seldom has it happened that a player lost from there.
But Williams upped the ante after the first set. Henin fell short of covering Williams’ powerful and fast shots on both sides of the court. She still fought hard till the end and was ahead by 5-4 at one point. But, in the end, a few unforced errors there cost her the set, which Williams bagged 7-5. In the final set, although Henin started well, reducing her unforced errors, Serena’s flawless game was too hot to handle.
In the end, Henin was no match for Williams, who took the final set as well, 6-3. It was a remarkable comeback from Williams.
The other time she won in a similar situation was at the 2015 Hopman Cup in Perth. This match is also famous for Williams asking for an espresso mid-match. She asked for the beverage more specifically after losing her first set 0-6 against Flavia Pennetta of Italy. It may have worked in her favor, since after that, Williams came out ‘all guns blazing’.
Williams turned her performance around, tiring her opponent after every long rally. She won the second set 6-3, while it was 3-3 at one point. From then on, Serena Williams didn’t let Pennetta win a single point. She took the perfect revenge for her first set, with a bagel of her own against Pennetta in the last set. Williams won the match 0-6, 6-3, 6-0.
Not many in their careers win a match after losing the first set, but Williams is no ordinary player. She is articulate in her thoughts as well and came up with some interesting comments after winning both those matches.
What Did Serena Williams Have to Say About Her Twin Fightbacks?
After beating Flavia Pennetta, Williams spoke to the media about winning from a down-and-out position. She hailed the Italian’s resistance and quality of gameplay.
“Yes, I’m glad to have gotten a win in that one. It was a tough start. She always plays so well and so fast, she’s always improving. So, I was glad to get through that one,” Williams was quoted as saying.
Williams then chuckled and spoke about her coffee break in between. She joked how it got the better out of her.
Similarly, after her win against Justine Henin at the 2007 Miami Open final, Serena Williams talked in the post-match interview with Mary Joe Fernandez, about the mentality that kept her going throughout her career –
“It’s just not in me to give up. I always keep fighting, and you know, I just can’t give up.”
After that, Williams explained what was going through her mind after being ‘bagelled’ (0-6) in the first se.
Williams continued, “You know I thought about you, I thought about that time you were at the French Open, you were about to lose….”
Williams was referring to Mary Joe Fernandez’s fightback in the 1993 French Open quarter-final against Gabriela Sabatini. Although not bagelled, Joe Fernandez had lost the first set 1-6 and was behind by 1-5 in that match. From 1-6, 1-5, Fernandez made it 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 10-8. It was a special win for her and that’s the win that gave Williams the boost to fight back.
