World number one Serena Williams admitted that getting a wildcard for this week’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships was needed on her part because she’s just gotten bored with practice time for several weeks. The American has not competed since her surprise fourth round exit at the Australian Open last month and her back injury that plagued her since the tournament is already gone.
“My back finally started to feel better but it wasn’t better in time for me to play Doha at the level I’d like to play,” Williams said during her pre-match conference. “So then it became more about what can I play next and this was next on the calendar”
“It gets boring to have to practice every day. I was like, ‘I don’t want to practice anymore. I want to play a match.,” she added.
Williams lost in a three-set thriller to Ana Ivanovic in Melbourne.
The world number one is definitely serious is getting much needed match time to hone her tennis skills as she already signed up for the doubles event with older sister Venus in Dubai.
“I think it’s actually going to be good for me to do (play singles and doubles) because it will give me some more match play,”Williams said. “I need to get used to the conditions and moving so it’s definitely helpful.”
Williams, who received a first round bye, is already in the quarterfinals after winning her second round match against Russian Ekaterina Makarova.
