Ajla Tomljanovic.Credit:AP
Tomljanovic,who had never played Williams before,the tournament’s main court,impressed the fans with her poise and her play - she pounded huge forehands but also displayed a deft touch on lobs and played excellent defence against ferocious attacks. Then post-match,when everyone was finished cheering Williams,Tomljanovic impressed with her charm too.
When asked how she stayed so calm during the match,Tomljanovic earned their laughter by deadpanning that there was no pressure because,“I just thought Serena would beat me.”
That was not to be. The 45th-ranked Tomljanovic took the first set by capitalising on Williams’ struggles on her serve (she managed to land just 47 percent of her first serves) and sloppy ground strokes (16 unforced errors compared to nine winners);frequently Tomljanovic seized control of the points by drilling Williams’ second serve near the baseline or into the corners.
“I was extremely nervous beforehand so I was happy that when the match started I felt comfortable and from then on it was instinct,” Tomljanovic said after,adding that she didn’t take the crowd’s passion personally. “I blocked out the noise but I didn’t take it personally. I would be cheering for Serena too if I wasn’t playing her.”
And when Williams sharpened her footwork and focus in the second set,Tomljanovic made adjustments of her own,hitting hard and deep down the middle to take away Williams’ angles - she won the night’s longest rally (21 shots) and she continued to make Williams work hard for every point. That proved crucial when she came back from 5-2 down,including a game where she saved five break points - that game alone last 15 minutes and in all Tomljanovic extended the set by more than half an hour,giving her a tremendous advantage in the final set.