Battling Serena suffers Wimbledon defeat on much-anticipated return

Serena Williams suffered defeat to Maya Joint in her much-anticipated return to Wimbledon following a four-year absence after an epic battle on Centre Court.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion stunned the world of tennis when she announced her return to the sport earlier this month at the age of 44 - and there were faint hopes of a fairytale victory on her favourite grass-courts in west London when she avoided the big guns when the draw was made last week.