Serena Williams suffers worst career defeat at San Jose event

Serena Williams went down to the heaviest defeat of her career after winning just one game in a shocking first-round exit against Johanna Konta at the WTA San Jose event on Tuesday. The 23-time Grand Slam champion lasted less than an hour, losing 6-1, 6-0 to the British No. 1 in a match that lasted just 53 minutes.

The match began in a usual manner as Serena won the first game, but lost the next 12 consecutively in perhaps the most lopsided match of her career. She made as many as 25 unforced errors leaving the 3000 odd crowd that had gathered at the San Jose University to watch the 36-year-old, speechless and disappointed.

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Williams, who was playing for the first time ever since coming second-best in the Wimbledon final managed to score just nine winners and had her serves broken six times. She returned to the court after a nine-month pregnancy lay-off that followed a critical life-threatening surgery.

“I think she played well in the second set and I think I wasn’t sharp at all in the first set and she got confident and she clearly ran away with it,” said the American who ever since turning pro in 1995 had never lost a match in this manner.

She looked far from the player that dominated opponents with each shot and has 72 singles titles. “She obviously wasn’t playing at her best level, nowhere near it, and I really just tried to play the match on my terms,” said Konta, who won the tournament two years ago.

“I tried to put aside the incredible champion she is and just play the player of the day,” added the 27-year-old who had won this competition two years ago. “I felt I did better than her on the day but it’s still a humbling experience to be out here with her.”

Serena will be next seen in the Rogers Cup where she has been given a wild-card entry. Meanwhile, Konta will take on Sofia Kenin in the second round.