Wimbledon Day 2 Live: Serena Williams comebacks to take 2nd set vs Joint

A brilliant forehand down the line levels it at 6-6.

Williams then produces a big serve down the middle to bring up set point at 7-6. A tense, extended rally follows before Joint finally goes long, and Williams clinches the second set. What a finish!

Williams 3-6, 6-6 Joint

Joint handles the pressure superbly, racing to 40-0 with authority, including an ace out wide to move her into control.

She seals the hold with another ace, sending the set into a tie-break.

Williams leads 6-5 in the second set after a tense hold.

A couple of double faults put her 0-30 down, before a loose forehand gifts Joint three break points. Williams digs deep to save all three, helped in part by errors from her opponent, as tension rises on both sides. Joint reacts angrily to another unforced error as Williams moves within one point of holding.

However, the pressure doesn’t ease, with Joint earning a break point of her own in a marathon game. She overhits at a key moment and turns to her box for guidance, something rarely seen so far. After a couple of nervy deuces, Williams finally holds in what has been the longest game of the match.

Williams leads 5-4 in the second set.

She opens the game with a rare double fault to make it 15-15, but Joint follows with a couple of errors that hand Williams control at 40-15. Another forehand from Joint lands in the net, giving Williams a solid hold and momentum as she closes in.

Williams breaks to level the set at 4-4.

The game opens with a double fault followed by an ace, before Williams moves forward and produces a tidy volley into an open court to reach 15-30.

She fails to return the next serve, but regroups as a netted error from Joint brings up break point at 30-40. Williams then anticipates brilliantly at the net, outsmarting her opponent with a sharp volley winner to complete the break and draw level.

Joint breaks back to lead 4-3 in the second set.

She quickly regains her focus, producing sharp and clinical shot-making to earn three break points at 0-40. Williams responds with a big serve out wide to get on the board at 15-40, but then overhits a forehand on the next point. Joint converts immediately to complete the break, delivering a strong response.

Williams breaks Joint's serve.

Joint remains ice-cold, barely showing any emotion and staying fully focused throughout. She finds herself under pressure at 15-30 but responds with a drilled two-handed backhand out of Williams’ reach. A long rally follows, ending with Joint sending a shot wide as even the pro-Serena crowd applauds the effort. At 40-30, she double faults, and then misjudges a ball at the net, watching it drop in behind her.

Williams earns break point at last, sending the crowd into a roar.

Williams holds serve to move to 2-3 in the second set.

She leans on her powerful serve to settle, racing to 30-0. At 30-15, she produces the first drop shot of the match, with Joint unable to chase down the sliced reply. Williams then wraps up the game with another ace.

Joint leads 3-1 in the second set.

Williams is undone by a series of unforced errors and a lapse in concentration, handing over two break points. The American fails to convert them, and Joint levels at deuce with a well-timed ace. Once again, the youngster holds her nerve in the key moments to consolidate and move a step closer to victory.

Joint leads 1-0 after breaking Williams' serve at the start of the second set.

At 15-15, Williams moved forward for an overhead smash and dispatches it emphatically, sending the ball almost into the Royal Box. She followed it up with an ace to go 40-15 up, but a double fault brought Joint back into the game.

A long rally swung in Joint’s favour to reach deuce, before the youngster produced a stunning forehand winner from deep behind the baseline to earn break point. She converted it to secure an immediate break in the second set, a poor start for Williams.

Serena Williams’ daughters, Olympia and Adira, are in the stands as she makes her return to professional tennis at Wimbledon.

Williams had previously said one of her main motivations for coming back was so her children could watch her compete.

Joint takes the first set 6-3.

At 30-30, Williams sends an awkward shot wide to give her opponent set point. She saves the first after Joint overhits a forehand, but the youngster quickly earns a second chance. This time, she makes no mistake, sealing the set with a clean backhand. First set to the rising star.

Williams' serve is broken, with Joint moving ahead 5-3.

Williams looks less mobile compared to her opponent, who uses her speed to charge forward and finish with a simple forehand winner to move to 15-30. Joint then earns a break point after Williams sends an easy shot wide.

Williams responds with a roar of frustration as Joint goes long to bring it back to deuce, but a double fault hands the advantage back. A final error into the net from Williams seals the break at a crucial moment.

Williams leveled at 3-3, finding her rhythm on serve and racing to 40-0 with smart variation. Joint wins a long rally with a down-the-line winner, but Williams finishes the game in style with another ace to hold comfortably.

Williams opened with two wide errors before a strong return brings it to 15-30 in the fourth game. A netted return sets up two break points at 15-40. Despite losing a long rally, Williams gets a lucky net cord to stay in it, but Joint stays composed to hold serve. New balls.

Joint leads Williams 3-2.

She lands her first ace, albeit on second serve, but is soon under pressure after back-to-back forehands drift long to leave her 15-30 down. A double fault brings up two break points, which she manages to save.

At deuce, a superb backhand down the line leaves Williams stranded, but Joint cannot capitalise immediately after. She goes on the attack in the next two points to hold serve and edge ahead in the set.

It's all level again.

Williams lands a much-needed ace to move 30-0 up before Joint gets on the board with a point of her own. Joint then overhits beyond the baseline to hand Williams two game points at 40-15.

A strong return from the 20-year-old puts Williams under pressure and she cannot respond, but Williams eventually holds as Joint sends the final ball long.

Joint responds with a couple of strong serves to move quickly to 30-0.

The longest rally of the match follows, with Williams attempting an ambitious backhand winner that just misses the line. Joint closes out the game at 40-0 to hold serve.

A superb lob from Williams wins the opening point as she gives the crowd an early highlight.

Two powerful serves take her to 40-0 before Joint is unable to return the final one into court. A strong start from the American.

First point to Williams as Joint sends a forehand long.

Williams then misses a volley at the net to make it 15-15. It moves to 30-30 after an error from each player, with no rally lasting more than four shots so far.

Williams then nets a return off serve before overhitting the next point, helping Joint settle early nerves with her first point on the board.

Serena Williams will face Maya Joint, with Serena set to receive as Joint begins the match on serve.

And Williams takes the first point.