Serena goes back to the grassroots

The 23-times grand-slam singles champion pitched up at a provincial club before her return to action, as stars prepare for Wimbledon.

Serena Williams was forced to withdraw due to injury from her first-round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich at Wimbledon last year. Picture: AFP

Some Eastbourne residents were stunned during their Saturday walks to discover Serena Williams practising at Meads Tennis Club. The 23-times grand-slam singles champion opted to hold her first training sessions on British grass courts away from the glare of publicity at Devonshire Park, the venue for this week’s Eastbourne International. The night before she was also spotted having dinner in one of the town’s Indian restaurants.

It is hard to gauge what we should expect from Williams as she returns to the tour at the age of 40. She is only playing doubles in Eastbourne, with Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, so her game is unlikely to receive a thorough examination. While she is within one grand-slam singles title of equalling Margaret Court’s all-time record, one theory being floated is that she is treating her Wimbledon appearance as part of a last hurrah, which will also take in the US Open. We await her first press conference with interest.

RADUCANU FEELS LUCKY

Emma Raducanu is still attempting to recover from a side strain in time for Wimbledon but it is now clear that the US Open champion, who was unable to take up a wildcard at Eastbourne, will not be at full fitness. On Saturday, the 19-year-old curiously posted a social media photo of a Chinese fortune cookie with a message that read: “Your troubles will cease and fortune will smile upon you.”

🥠🔮⛩🏮🐲 加油 pic.twitter.com/L3W7wsweii

— Emma Raducanu (@EmmaRaducanu) June 18, 2022

The better news for British fans is that Andy Murray has resumed practising at the All England Club, which suggests that his recovery from an abdominal strain is going well. His coach, Ivan Lendl, is in town to oversee the on-court training and there could also be a match for him to watch at the Hurlingham Club if Murray decides to play in the exhibition event there.

Andy Murray has resumed practising at the All England Club, which suggests that his recovery from an abdominal strain is going well. Picture: Getty

FORM HORSES

As well as the Queen’s champion Matteo Berrettini, there are other in-form players to keep an eye out for. Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, who defeated Roger Federer to reach last year’s Wimbledon semi-finals, claimed his first ATP title on grass at the Halle Open by defeating the world No 1, Daniil Medvedev, 6-1, 6-4.

In the absence of the defending champion Ashleigh Barty - the 26-year-old Australian quit professional tennis in March - Jabeur is highly fancied. She won the Berlin Open after her opponent, Belinda Bencic, retired with an ankle injury at 6-3, 2-1 down. There was also a retirement in the final of the Birmingham Classic where Zhang Shuai decided at 5-4 down in the first set that she could not continue because of a neck injury, giving Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia a second straight grass-court title after her win in Nottingham.

THE MISSING LIST

Fears of mass Wimbledon withdrawals because of the inability to earn ranking points have proved unfounded. Naomi Osaka removed her name from the entry list, although she cited an “achilles injury”, while the world No 2, Alexander Zverev, has also pulled out after hurting an ankle during his French Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal this month. Organisers will be delighted to have Novak Djokovic and Nadal as the top two seeds in the men’s singles. Friday’s draw is one to watch as Murray and Nick Kyrgios are among the unseeded floaters, meaning a potential blockbuster first-round match. Iga Swiatek leads the women’s field as she looks to add seven more wins to her 35-match unbeaten streak.

Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the tournament, citing an achilles injury. Picture: AFP

ROEHAMPTON HOPEFULS

Qualifying starts today (Monday) for those who could not get into the main draw, either via their world ranking or a wildcard. The action at the Bank of England Sports Ground in Roehampton is always intense, as 128 men and 128 women battle for coveted spots at Wimbledon and a guaranteed cheque of pounds 50,000. Three matches must be won to secure entry.

Jack Sock and Gilles Simon, both former top-ten players, will be in action alongside other hopefuls including Billy Harris and Aidan McHugh. Two Scots are worth looking out for in the women’s singles: the in-form Anna Brogan and Maia Lumsden, who recently returned after a bout of long Covid.

Wimbledon seedings:Men: 1 N Djokovic 2 R Nadal 3 C Ruud 4 S Tsitsipas 5 C Alcaraz 6 F Auger-Aliassime 7 H Hurkacz 8 M Berrettini 9 C Norrie 10 J Sinner 11 T Fritz 12 D Schwartzman 13 D Shapovalov 14 M Cilic 15 R Opelka 16 P Carreno Busta 17 R Bautista Agut 18 G Dimitrov 19 G Monfils 20 A de Minaur 21 J Isner 22 B van de Zandschulp 23 N Basilashvili 24 F Tiafoe 25 H Rune 26 M Kecmanovic 27 F Krajinovic 28 L Sonego 29 D Evans 30 J Brooksby 31 T Paul 32 S Baez. Women: 1 I Swiatek 2 A Kontaveit 3 O Jabeur 4 P Badosa 5 M Sakkari 6 K Pliskova 7 D Collins 8 J Pegula 9 G Muguruza 10 E Raducanu 11 C Gauff 12 B Krejcikova 13 J Ostapenko 14 B Bencic 15 A Kerber 16 S Halep 17 E Rybakina 18 J Teichmann 19 M Keys 20 A Anisimova 21 C Giorgi 22 M Trevisan 23 B Haddad Maia 24 E Mertens 25 P Kvitova 26 S Cirstea 27 Y Putintseva 28 A Riske 29 A Kalinina 30 S Rogers 31 K Kanepi 32 S Sorribes Tormo.

The Times