By Adrianna Outlaw | Saturday, August 6, 2016
In her Olympic debut, Kirsten Flipkens fought back from 3-5 down in the final set to edge fifth-seeded Venus Williams, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5).
Photo credit: ITF Olympic Tennis
Playing catch-up in the final set of her Olympic debut, Kirsten Flipkens wasn't dreaming of defeating Venus Williams.
The 30-year-old Flipkens was having too much fun competing to grow preoccupied with the outcome.
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Facing a 3-5 deficit in the decider, Flipkens was two points from elimination before fighting back for a pulsating 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory over the fifth-seeded American in the opening round of the Rio Olympics.
The match spanned three hours and 13 minutes and left the Center Court crowd, including U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Sloane Stephens, buzzing. When Williams' final forehand sailed long, Flipkens collapsed on her back onto the Olympic rings painted behind the baseline.
"I was already thinking in the third set I felt it was like one of the most epic matches I played in my career," Flipkens told Bravo Network's Trenni Kusnierek afterward. "I didn't even dream this. My dream was to come to Rio, but to beat one of the greatest champions in history on center court in Olympics is more than a dream come true."
Flipkens, who frequently used her slice backhand to blunt Williams' superior power, has a history of producing some of her best tennis against Grand Slam champions.
The Belgian upset Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova en route to the 2013 Wimbledon semifinals. Flipkens knocked off Roland Garros champion Garbiñe Muguruza on the grass of Mallorca in June.
The world No. 62 took the court with a simple game-plan tonight: Have fun and fight hard.
"I said to myself before the match just enjoy the match and give myself 200 percent on every point," Flipkens said.
It was a gut-wrenching loss for the four-time gold medal champion.
Sixteen years after Williams swept singles and doubles gold medals at the Sydney Games, she showed plenty of fight in her fifth Olympics appearance, but could not close her third-set lead.
In the second set, Flipkens, who often befuddled her opponent with the slice backhand, lofted an angled backhand lob winner to break for 5-3. The Belgian served out the set to force the decider.
It didn't come quickly.
Williams took about a nine-minute bathroom break and returned wearing a fresh dress.
Flipkens fought off a couple of break points in the second game, victimizing Williams with another lob in the process, holding for 1-all.
Williams drew first blood in the decider, drilling a forehand down the line that touched the edge of the sideline to break for 3-1.
Undeterred, Flipkens broke back to close the gap to 3-4. Williams shook it off breaking right back at love for 5-3.
The former world No. 1 served for the second round, but misfired on the move as Flipkens broke back then carved out a fine forehand drop shot to break again for 6-5.
Leaning into her two-handed backhand, Williams blasted a winner crosscourt breaking at love to force the tie break.
Challenging Williams with another well-placed lob, Flipkens went up 4-1 in the tie break. She built a 5-2 lead, but lost the range on her forehand as Williams came back to even the breaker.
A bold Flipkens challenged Williams' forehand with a slider serve to earn match point. On the fifth shot of the rally, Williams lifted a forehand long.
Flipkens fell flat on her back, rising to kiss the Olympic rings painted on court before tapping her heart and pointing to the exuberant crowd in appreciation for their support.
"I came back and felt like I could win the match, but at the same time you're playing against Venus Williams, not against some junior," Flipkens said. "It was amazing. One of the biggest matches ever for me."
Next up for Flipkens is a second-round date with Lucie Safarova, a 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 victor over Italian Karin Knapp. The 2015 French Open finalist has beaten Flipkens in two of their three meetings.
"Of course I'm gonna play it match-by-match and see what's happening," Flipkens said. "I'm gonna do the same as I did today: Give myself 200 percent and enjoy the moment."
Canadian Genie Bouchard swept American Sloane Stephens, 6-3, 6-3, to advance to the second round where she could face second-seeded Angelique Kerber.
"It was a tough day," Stephens, one of five Americans to fall on the first day, told Bravo Network's Trenni Kusnerik afterward. "Obviously I would have liked to play better and done some things better. It was one of those days, just unfortunate."