It was an incredible fight from Serena Williams on Tuesday afternoon, but the legend of the sport fell to Harmony Tan in her first round at Wimbledon despite being a -400 favorite.
The 23-time Slam champion was not only a gargantuan favorite in her first round match, but she was also one of the betting public's favorites to win the tournament.
Williams was the biggest liability that BetMGM had on Wimbledon, as she collected 17.3% of the betting tickets and 17.2% of the handle as a +1600 underdog.
In her first round match with Tan, Williams opened as a -450 favorite before sharp action pushed her down to -350. 33% of the handle at BetMGM was actually with Tan to pull off the upset.
Harmony Tan (+270 ML) upsets Serena Williams at Wimbledon ✅pic.twitter.com/2uDPl54fVp
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) June 28, 2022
Williiams lost the first set after losing a break lead. Tan was able to capitalize on a dip in level to clinch a 7-5 scoreline.
After a couple of marathon games to open the second set, Williams was able to put the gas pedal on. She raced out to a 5-0 lead in the second and ultimately won it 6-1, seemingly figuring out Tan's game style and getting comfortable.
The same trend continued into the third set as Williams found a quick break and a 3-1 lead. But that's when the match turned.
Tan rattled off three games in a row, but once again Williams found an answer. She failed to serve out the match at 5-4, before Tan had a match point on the Williams serve.
Williams saved it confidently before forcing a deciding tiebreak. After earning a quick 4-0 lead there, Tan fought back and the two traded points until 7-8.
It was there that Tan was able to get the match to the finish line, closing out Williams, 10-7.
It's hard to know if that was the last time that we'll see Williams step onto Center Court at Wimbledon, but if it's her last go around, she certainly gave us one more box office showing.
