Venus Williams fell short of a remarkable US Open victory, but not before showing the tennis world why she is not ready to hang up her racket just yet.
At 45, Williams was the oldest player to compete in the women’s singles here since Renee Richards in 1981 and the third oldest of the open era.
She had a tough draw against 11th seed Karolina Muchova, a semi-finalist last year, but made life very uncomfortable for the Czech before eventually falling to a 6-3 2-6 6-1 defeat.
Whether this was Williams’ last run-out remains to be seen and she waved to all sides of Arthur Ashe Stadium as she walked off to a standing ovation.
“I was stressed,” said a smiling Muchova. “It was an unbelievable atmosphere. She’s such a legend of the sport. I’m so glad that I got the win today.”
Back at Flushing Meadows for the first time in two years, and a full 28 years after first reaching the final as a 17-year-old, Williams initially looked she would struggle to make the match competitive.
But coming back from 0-40 to hold serve in the third game settled Williams into the contest and soon she was sending backhands arrowing into the corners in vintage fashion.
She levelled at 2-2 and, although Muchova went on to take the opening set, Williams was very much in it.
The American won her first match for nearly two years last month against Peyton Stearns in Washington, but performing on the grand slam stage against a player with strong recent grand slam pedigree was on another level.
Williams, who last won a match here six years ago, stamped her authority on the second set with a break of serve in the opening game and then moved 5-2 ahead, clenching her fist in celebration when an errant Muchova shot made it one set all.
Williams stretched out her legs in time to the background music as Muchova took a break before the decider, but it was the Czech who made the better start on the resumption and her opponent eventually ran out of gas.
