As the four players walked down the steps of the Queen’s Club, there was no doubt that the roar of the crowd of more than 9,000 was just for Williams.
But there was no major response from the former world No. 1, who waved briefly before beginning his warm-up and completing the task ahead.
Williams said the win “doesn’t matter” after his return on Sunday, but said it was inevitable that a competitive spirit would get to the great champion.
After each win between the two, Williams returned to Mboko to discuss tactics with her fists raised, and when the teenager reacted quickly and fired a volley into the net, she let out a loud roar of celebration.
The seven-time Wimbledon singles champion’s powerful groundstrokes looked better than ever, and her serve still had the same sting. The serve, which came in at 120 miles per hour, caused an uproar among the crowd.
But Williams was humble about his accomplishments. When asked for her report card, she said, “What do you think? C-minus?”
Her overhead shots looked a bit rusty, but her movement speed was a bit off at times and Mboko did some excellent covering from the baseline.
“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Mboko said. “I thought she was doing great.”
