France’s Harmony Tan surprised everyone when she beat Serena Williams in a three-hour ten-minute-long match. The momentum of the game shifted constantly between the two and Harmony managed to come out on top.
Making her Wimbledon debut and that too against Serena on Centre Court, Harmony managed to keep her calm at crucial moments of the game. There were times when the match was slipping away from her. However, she managed to bounce back every single time.
“She’s beaten a legend.”
After three hours, 10 minutes, Harmony Tan beats Serena Williams in a first round epic#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 pic.twitter.com/IQst8AzXxv
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 28, 2022
After the match got over, Harmony opened up about what it was like to play Serena. Moreover, she said, “I’m so emotional. (Williams is) a superstar and when I was young, watching her so many times on the TV. For my first Wimbledon… wow.”
She also thanked her coach Nathalie Tauziat and said, “I would like to thank everybody today and my team and my coach Nathalie Tauziat, who also played Serena.” Nathalie and Serena have faced each other three times with Serena winning twice and Nathalie winning once.
Harmony Tan admits she was scared of playing Serena Williams
When the draw came out, Harmony saw that she would play her first-ever Wimbledon match against a legendary player like Serena Williams. Moreover, there was the added pressure of playing in the Centre Court. Harmony admitted she was scared when she got to know that her first-round opponent was none other than Serena.
“When I saw the draw, I was really scared.” 😅
You were fearless on the court, Harmony Tan 👏#Wimbledon #BBCTennis pic.twitter.com/rHa2zu1kl3
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 28, 2022
Moreover, she said, “When I saw the draw, I was really scared because it’s Serena Williams. She’s a legend.” The French professional tried to constantly surprise Serena with her slices and forced her opponent to run forward to reach the ball.
Harmony will now face seed number 32, Sara Sorribes Tormo. After winning the match against Serena, Harmony would be confident about her game. Sara, who hails from Spain will try to come up with a solution against Harmony’s slices.
