'2020 in a nutshell': Fan's 'creative' way to watch Williams sisters
Serena Williams returned to tennis to take on her older sister Venus in an ‘unbelievable’ match and one fan has gone viral for doing what she could to watch.
Fans have been eagerly awaiting the return of tennis in the US and Serena and Venus put on a show with the 23-time Grand Slam champ defeating her older sister 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals of the inaugural Top Seed Open in Lexington.
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But Lexington doesn’t often attract the highest-profile players, but with the return of the WTA players have jumped at the chance to get some warm-up before the US Open.
However, the competition is being held without fans, only volunteers because of the coronavirus pandemic.
But this didn’t stop one fan doing her best to catch a glimpse of the Williams sisters.
The footage of her lying on the floor and watching through the crack in the fence had tennis fans going wild.
Serena and Venus are playing.
No fans are allowed.
Time to get creative.
We respect the dedication. 👏@SerenaWilliams | @VenusesWilliams pic.twitter.com/qzJarudlAb— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) August 13, 2020
The once in a lifetime chance to watch a match between Venus and Serena Williams. pic.twitter.com/hmSypX5NyR
— Luca Jacobs (@luc_jac) August 13, 2020
2020 in a nutshell
— AmbitiouslyVoting TrumpOutin2020 (@Resist4Lyfe) August 13, 2020
I took this picture. pic.twitter.com/AOctEJQ8BI
— mpiatt (@mpiatt3) August 13, 2020
The commentator explained fans used to peak like this during baseball games, but this was new for tennis in the area.
“Back in the old days in baseball, we had the ‘knothole gang’, that would peak through the knothole in the fence to catch a glimpse of the baseball game when they couldn’t get a ticket,” he said.
“That is the under the fence gang, trying to get a glimpse of Serena and Venus when no fans are allowed.”
Serena defeats sister Venus Williams
Serena, who in her first-round match was five points from defeat against world No.60 Bernarda Pera, rallied from a set down and then a 4-2 deciding set deficit to defeat her sibling in an entertaining two hour and 19 minute encounter.
Serena won three games in a row to lead 5-4 in the decider and served out the match, claiming victory on her first match point.
“This was right up there,” Serena added of the three-set match.
“I’d say it was one of the all-time top five super-competitive matches between the two of us.”
Venus, 40, is ranked 67th in the world and Serena was in awe of her older sister’s game.
“She played unbelievable,” Serena added.
“She’s doing so good. I honestly don’t know how I was able to pull it off at the end. She played so well.”