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Wimbledon: "Serena Mom" at a march to recover her crown ©
AFP
/ Glyn KIRK
Ten months after her complicated delivery, Serena Williams is recovering her Wimbledon Queen crown. He only has one game to win on Saturday in the final, against the rebellious German Angelique Kerber, one of the few to have embarrbaded in recent years.
On the match ball, a lob too Long German Julia Görges, Serena Williams clenched her fist against his chest, smiling, before performing a pirouette under the applause of the audience of the Center Short.
After this controlled game (6-2 , 6-4), the dream comeback at the highest level takes shape for "Mom Serena". Ten months ago it was far from guaranteed. The 36-year-old Floridian gave birth to her first child, a baby girl named Alexis Olympia, not without experiencing postpartum complications.
"Everything went wrong," she told Vogue magazine in January. on the cover with his baby. Discovered blood clots in the lungs – when she had been hospitalized for a pulmonary embolism in 2011 – Caesarean section scar was reopened because of strong coughing fits, hematoma in the abdomen … The big star of women's tennis had had to stay in bed for six weeks
The convalescence was more complicated than expected and the return, delayed from January to March, had also proved complex in Indian Wells and Miami (2 losses, 2 victories).
But "Serena Williams is a warrior", as pointed out her future opponent, Kerber. She caught on, although her encouraging run at Roland Garros was held back by a puncture injury before the round of 16. We will never know if without it the American would have raised the Suzanne Lenglen Cup.
It is past now that she is about to seize for the eighth time the Venus Rosewater Dish, the plateau in sterling silver awarded to the laureate in London. Saturday, she can also join the restricted circle of mothers become champions again.
Equal Court Record
The Australian Margaret Court, the holder of the absolute record of major titles (24), it will equal if successful, had achieved this feat. In 1973, the year of her 31 years, she had offered a "little slam" (Australian Open, Roland Garros, US Open) after giving birth to her first child. Belgian Kim Clijsters was 26 when she lifted the trophy for the second time in New York after her maternity leave.
Soon to be 37 years old (September 26th), Serena Williams would push the limits even further. Thursday, she did not have too much to force his talent to dismiss Görges, who played at 29 years his first semifinal Grand Slam. The German fought from start to finish but was too often overwhelmed by the power of the American.
She only delayed the deadline, breaking the old world N.1 (today 181e), when she served for the match (at 5-3). But Floridienne's direct faults and good defense put an end to her rebellion.
Two years later reuniting with Kerber
Serena is now facing one last pitfall: Kerber, who has made his way to the final surfing on the laps (36) of the Latvian Jelena Ostapenko (6-3, 6-3), crowned at Roland Garros in 2017.
The duel of Saturday will seal their reunion two years after the final, won here by the American against the German.
But that year, the intrepid "Angie", 30 years, had dethroned the first place in the world by winning the US Open. In 2016, the Polish-born German was also offered the Australian Open by beating Serena in the final.
Only another player, Spain's Garbiñe Muguruza at Roland-Garros in 2016, can boast to have dropped the younger sister of Williams in a major final since 2012 and the beginning of her successful collaboration with French coach Patrick Mouratoglou (10 Grand Slam titles).
In nine finals in London, the former queen of the WTA, who will return to the top 20 in the event of a title, lost only twice, in 2004 against Maria Sharapova and in 2008 in front of her older sister Venus. A big challenge is waiting for Kerber
12/07/2018 19:14:24 –
Wimbledon (United Kingdom) (AFP) –
© 2018 AFP
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