(2023) Williams loses on memorable debut

Venus Williams failed to win her first match on Dutch soil on a packed centre court. After a promising start, under the watchful eye of sister Serena in the stands, Williams had to hand over the congratulations to wildcard player Celine Naef: 3-6 7-6(3) 6-2.

For the 17-year-old Swiss, the victory was unforgettable. After all, Naef had never played a match at WTA level before.

Williams got off to a good start on her best surface. The five-time Wimbledon champion broke once to win the first set. She took the last 12 points to go from 4-3 to 6-3.

Williams got victory in sight when she ran out to 4-2 in the second set. But Naef fought back and went on to win the tiebreak, helped by some unnecessary errors by the seven-time Grand Slam champion.

In the third set, Naef continued her advance and notched up a win she will probably never forget. To make her week even better, Naef will play Caty McNally in the second round. The number eight seed won over Katie Volynets in an American singles match.