Venus Williams rolled back the years as she battled to an impressive WTA win against Camila Giorgi in the Rothesay Classic on Monday.
The 43-year-old had been away from the court for six months after suffering a hamstring injury, before making her return to action in a loss last week.
However, this didn’t stop the world No. 697 from returning to form and notching her first win against a top 50 opponent since 2019.
The game went the distance, lasting three hours and 17 minutes, as Williams secured a 7-6(5) 4-6 7-6(6) win across the three sets.
The victory was just Williams’ second win since Wimbledon in 2021 and it clearly meant a lot to the tennis superstar.
“I am just so happy to be back!,” Williams said on-court postgame, beaming as the crowd showed their appreciation.
“I thought I played really well today, and she played incredible,” added Williams. “I’m so surprised she’s not No.1 in the world. There were so many moments where I thought, ‘This match is over,’ then she would hit a shot from out of nowhere.
“She pushed me to be better than what I thought I could be, and it’s great for me. I haven’t played a lot of matches, and it’s great to come through.”
At one point, however, Williams began to feel a pain in her leg and temporarily struggled but as champions do, the veteran battled through the discomfort.
“I got off to a great start, and my leg started hurting in the third game,” outlined Williams. “I was like, ‘Oh no, not this.’ It was really hard to control my emotions, to be honest.
“Eventually I just acclimated to what I was going through and tried to ignore it. I couldn’t move as well as I wanted, but I tried to get to every ball that I could.”
In the third-set tiebreak, Williams sealed victory with a brilliant shot, reminiscent of the seven-time singles grand slam winner’s glory days on the circuit.
Under pressure in the rally, the former world No. 1 hit a brilliant crosscourt backhand past Giorgi to win the third set tiebreak – and the match.
Williams will now wait to see who she faces in the second-round with Jelena Ostapenko and Linda Noskova yet to take to the court.
CNN’s Homero De la Fuente contributed to reporting.