Serena Williams' return to the Miami Open lasted just over an hour. The 23-time Grand Slam champion was eliminated 6-3, 6-2 in the first round by rising 20-year-old star Naomi Asaka early Wednesday evening.
It was Williams' earliest-ever exit at the Key Biscayne tournament. She had never lost before the Round of 16.
Immediately after the match, Williams _ an eight-time tournament champion _ bolted from the grounds without doing a mandatory press conference. Williams entered the tournament to much fanfare, as she was returning from maternity leave after having a baby girl in September.
The Boca Raton-based Osaka, daughter of a Haitian-American father and Japanese mother, dominated Williams (her idol) from start to finish with her heavy groundstrokes and composure that belied her age and experience. Osaka is the hottest player on tour in recent weeks and ranked No. 22.
She is coming off her first WTA title in the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, Calif. She didn't drop a single set at Indian Wells and defeated top-ranked Simona Halep, five-time major winner Maria Sharapova, and Grand Slam finalists Agnieszka Radwanska and Karolina Pliskova.
