Serena Williams’ return to tennis in Eastbourne was cut short after doubles partner Ons Jabeur withdrew from the tournament due to a knee injury.
Williams has played the first two games at Lossey International since shedding tears from Wimbledon last summer over a hamstring problem.
Williams and Tunisia’s Jabber advanced to the semi-finals with a slight victory over Maria Bowzkova and Sara Sorribes Tormo and a more convincing victory over Shuko Aoyama and Chan Hao-ching.
But Americans are now paying attention to a much larger test at the All England Club. There, she incorporated wildcards into women’s singles while she continued to pursue her record 24th Grand Slam title.
After the match on Wednesday, Williams said: As good as I can feel after taking such a long break. As I said to the ounces, this was a really good match, especially in the second set, which played very well, but we were able to play in a variety of situations.
“It was really good match play and match practice. That was exactly what I needed and wanted to come here, so I couldn’t ask for more.”
Unseeded at Wimbledon, Williams will know who she is facing in the first round when the draw takes place on Friday morning.
