WIMBLEDON, England, June 25 -- Since she arrived in England last week, two-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams had been operating on the conviction that her will to win was strong enough to overpower the combined talent, skills, hard work and desire of whatever opponent she faced.
And through her first two matches Williams was vindicated, pulling out victories -- albeit sloppy ones -- that propelled her one step closer to a much anticipated fourth-round meeting with elder sister Venus and to a women's final that she repeatedly referred to as her "destiny."
Williams's fanciful theory slammed headlong into reality Saturday in the unlikely form of 30-year-old Jill Craybas, the world's 85th-ranked player, who sent Williams packing from the tournament she once ruled, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4). It was the fourth-ranked Williams's earliest Wimbledon defeat since she made her debut in 1998.
Though the loss reduced her to tears and caused her to interrupt her post-match interview several times to dab her eyes with a tissue, Williams -- who refused to use her injured left ankle as an excuse -- needed only to look in a mirror to find the cause.
Craybas surely did her part in notching the biggest victory of her career, landing 66 percent of her first serves, handling the pace of Williams's vaunted groundstrokes and, most importantly, keeping her composure as Williams ratcheted up her power, as well as her grunts and glares, in a vain attempt to force a third set.
But in the end, Williams's role in the outcome was larger than that of Craybas.
"I'm just used to winning these kind of matches," Williams said afterward. "It's just hard when you go out there and you can't make a shot, and you've been making them for years. It's like -- it's a battle."
Part of the reason for Williams's ineffectiveness is that female tennis pros are more fit and strong than even five years ago, working harder in the gym and investing more power in their games. The other part is that Williams hasn't kept up. And steely resolve simply isn't enough to brook the difference.
Faced with the most embarrassing loss of her career, Williams uttered the critical words Saturday that suggest she may be ready to set her acting bug aside and rededicate herself to the sport that made her famous.
"I definitely think it's important for me to practice harder than what I've been practicing," Williams said. "I've never been big on practicing. I've kind of been all about playing."
If the outcome was a wake-up call to Williams, it was the sweetest possible reward for Craybas, who nearly quit the tour after hitting a competitive plateau a few years back. The top junior in Rhode Island as a teenager, Craybas is among the tiny fraction of players who deferred turning pro until after getting a college diploma. Along with her telecommunications degree, she also earned an NCAA tennis title while a student at the University of Florida.
