World No 1 admitted her fitness was 'nowhere near 100 per cent' as her WTA Finals hopes receded after one of the heaviest defeats of her career yesterday.
Serena Williams watches her return against Simona Halep in the second round robin match of WTA Finals yesterday. Serena lost 0-6, 2-6. Pic/AFP
Singapore: Serena Williams admitted her fitness was "nowhere near 100 per cent" as her WTA Finals hopes receded after one of the heaviest defeats of her career yesterday.
Serena Williams watches her return against Simona Halep in the second round robin match of WTA Finals yesterday. Serena lost 0-6, 2-6. Pic/AFP
Williams came into the eight-player season finale with a knee injury and she said she served like a 10-year-old in a stunning 6-0, 6-2 loss to Simona Halep.
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Elsewhere in the Red Group round robin, Ana Ivanovic maintained her semi-final hopes with a 6-1, 6-3 win over an out-of-sorts Eugenie Bouchard.
"My forehand was off today again — I guess it went on an early vacation," Williams said. "Lord knows my serve was as well. My serve, I don't even... I don't know.
My serve was at best in the 10 and under division in juniors. It was actually embarrassing I think describes the way I played. Yeah, very embarrassing."
The World No 1 served seven double-faults, won just 29 per cent of points on her second serve and was broken five times in what was her biggest loss since 1998.
Williams ground out a 6-4, 6-4 win over Ana Ivanovic in her opening match and she will play Eugenie Bouchard, whom she beat in three sets last year in Cincinnati, in her final round robin match in Red Group.
'Not 100 per cent fit'
But the 18-time Grand Slam-winner, who withdrew from this month's China Open with her left knee problem, said she was far from full fitness.
"Oh, God no. I'm definitely not 100 per cent okay. I'm just here playing, but I'm not nowhere near 100," she said, when asked about her injury.
Despite her problems, Williams can take heart from the fact that since the round robin format returned in 2003, four players have lost a group match and then gone on to win the tournament.
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