MELBOURNE, Australia — Venus Williams moved toward the net in pursuit of a short return, a little stiffly because of her liberally taped left knee. Altering her stride when she saw the ball clip the net, she rolled her right ankle. Her anguished cry echoed through Melbourne Park’s John Cain Arena, causing the fans sprinkled throughout the stands to sit up straighter.
At that point, Williams, the grande dame of American tennis, trailed by 1-5 and 0-15 in the first set of her second-round match against Sara Errani of Italy.
“I didn’t understand what she had in the beginning,” Errani said, adding, “I was scared.