Speaking after her 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 win over Aravane Rezai in Wimbeldon the Women's Wimbledon Winner was emotional, and claimed to be drained.
"Rezai gave me a massive game," Williams said. "Especially in the second set. For a time I was actually worried as she hit a hot streak. That's the first set I've lost at Wimbledon since 2009."
Williams herself has had a torrid year, and has only just recovered from blood clots on the lungs in time to play at Wimbledon, but it was not her lack of match fitness that the four time champion blamed for dropping the second set.
"I'd chosen to wear massive earrings," said Serena. "They were a present off my sister Venus. I hoped they'd bring me luck."
The jingling of the fifteen centimetre bronze earrings could be heard on court three where John Isner and Nicolas Mahut were hoping they did not repeat the previous year's thirty-seven hour match. Fortunately, the clanking noise kept distracting them, and the match only lasted two hours.
Every swing of the racket caused a racket leaving Serena Williams partially deaf by the end of the match.
"During the second set, I couldn't get the sound of the earrings out of my head," said Williams. "I couldn't take them off though, with Venus in the crowd watching. After losing the second set, I sat sipping my water and forced the sound out of my head. And it worked."
Additionally, the drag caused by the dinner plate sized gongs slowed Serena down meaning she was unable to cross the court with her usual speed.
"It took some time to get used to my inability to swing my head," she admitted. "I love my sister to bits, but in the next round, I'm going back to studs."
