Back to the Tennis Newsfeed

Wimbledon 2019: Serena Williams Escapes; Angelique Kerber Doesn’t

Andrew Couldridge/Reuters

WIMBLEDON, England — Finding her range and fending off a spirited challenge from yet another little-known opponent, Serena Williams came back to beat the Slovenian qualifier Kaja Juvan, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, in the late afternoon shadows at Wimbledon on Thursday.

On paper, Williams and Juvan are a universe apart. Williams, 37, holds seven Wimbledon singles titles and 23 Grand Slam singles championships over all. Juvan, an 18-year-old ranked 133rd, played her first match at a major tournament this summer, at the French Open, where she lost in the first round.

But aided by a raft of errors from her deeply seasoned opponent, Juvan won the first set with little trouble.