Making her return to competitive tennis after having blood clots in her lungs and two foot surgeries, Serena Williams slipped and fell in the final game of the match at Eastbourne on Tuesday.
The 13-time Grand Slam champion recovered from a slow start to win her first match after nearly a year off the WTA tour, rallying past Tsvetana Pironkova 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the first round.
Wearing a pink dress that she said was inspired by French actress Brigitte Bardot, Williams walked out to the song "I'm The World's Greatest," chosen by organizers. The 29-year-old American was given a warm welcome as she was introduced to a three-quarters-full stadium.
But she looked unsure in the warm-up and it spilled over into the match. Her sister Venus, who returned from a hip injury after five months away, began her match Monday with two double-faults. Serena opened her first service game with one of her own.
After trailing 4-0, Williams smacked her racket into the turf in disgust. On winning her first game to make it 5-1, the former top-ranked player heard the rare sound of sympathetic applause.
The unseeded Bulgarian then took the set with a forehand winner.
Soon Williams began to look -- and sound -- more like her old self. She increasingly greeted her winners, and an improving first serve, with determined cries of "c'mon."