Twice former champion Serena Williams ventured on to the notorious court two at Wimbledon on Tuesday and was given an almighty scare by a 'ghost' from her past.
The fourth seed eventually beat compatriot Angela Haynes 6-7 6-4 6-2 in the first round on a court famous for the number of seeded players who have lost there over the years.
Williams used to practise on the same courts in Compton, California as Haynes when they were young tennis prodigies and she was severely tested by the world number 104, smashing her racket in fury after losing a sapping first set tiebreak 14-12.
"I felt really rusty," admitted Williams who won the Australian Open at the start of the year but missed the French Open with a left ankle injury.
"I felt like I was feeling my way around. I felt like I made some errors that shouldn't have been made. I did have a major let down as I felt I should have won the tiebreak but I was so angry I just thought I must go to the third set."
Williams, who won Wimbledon in 2002 and 2003 and reached last year's final, said she had been determined not to allow the court's reputation for upsets to spook her. "I felt I had to be better than that, the myths."
{{/usCountry}}Williams, who won Wimbledon in 2002 and 2003 and reached last year's final, said she had been determined not to allow the court's reputation for upsets to spook her. "I felt I had to be better than that, the myths."
{{/usCountry}}Instead she paid tribute to an opponent who acquitted herself superbly in her first Wimbledon outing.
"I remember hitting next to her a few times, we used to practise at the same park," Williams said. "She was so little at the time. She hit a lot of angles."
"It's an amazing story. Who would have thought these people from Compton would be playing at Wimbledon? I think she played actually unbelievable...but I expected a tough match. She had nothing to lose and I felt I really needed to be focused."
"There was a point when I was disappointed I did lose my focus a little bit. I was kind of off-track," added the 23-year-old who will hope for an easier time against Italian qualifier Mara Santangelo in the second round.
She could face older sister Venus in round four.
Haynes admitted: "If I'd have won it would have changed my whole life. I really wanted it."
The 20-year-old said she had loved her first experience of Wimbledon.
"This is amazing. Seeing like 10 miles of people waiting to get into the stadium, it's nothing like I've ever seen."
"The fans today helped me out a lot. I got a lot of them on my side. I heard they like the underdogs here so I guess that's what got them onside."