An “injured” Serena Williams battled to an unlikely 6-2 6-7 (2-7) 6-2 win over Daniela Hantuchova in the fourth round at Wimbledon. Serena Williams is +210 odds to beat favorite Justin Henin at -300 odds in her next Wimbledon match with Bodog.com.
Williams’s win has caused a furor among many tennis fans with cries of gamesmanship against her. The American appeared barely able to run at some stages because of a calf strain, and when she dropped the second set after a rain break it appeared she was on her way out of the tournament.
But Hantuchova failed to take advantage as Serena went for big serves and winners at every opportunity. And it was Williams who broke in game six before serving out for victory.
"I never had an injury like this ever, ever," said Williams. "I didn't know what it was. When I went down I didn't expect to be able to get up."
She had shown no sign of an injury, quite the opposite, when she flinched at 6-2 5-5 while walking along the baseline, tapped her calf with her racquet and fell to the ground. The umpire, the trainer, Hantuchova and several other official as gathered round as the injury break became longer, and a tearful Serena shrieked in agony when ice was applied to her calf.
With Williams' father Richard urging her on from the players' box, the American battled on gamely despite barely being able to walk. Hantuchova made a bad job of exploiting the injury, putting several balls into the net or out of court, and she led by a relatively slender margin when the weather took yet another turn for the worse.
The players returned after nearly two hours, during which Williams received more treatment and heavy strapping, but Hantuchova soon wrapped up the second-set tie-break.
The Slovak lostserve in a tight sixth game and a fired-up Serena held on to set up a quarter-final against top seed Justine Henin.
