Paris: Venus Williams hit the fastest recorded serve in a women's tour main-draw match, reaching 206 kph (128 mph) at the French Open on Wednesday.
Brenda Schultz-McCarthy hit a serve at 209 kph (130 mph) during qualifying for the Cincinnati tournament last year, and the WTA said on Wednesday that it considers that to be the fastest serve in women's tennis history.
Serving at 4-1, 30-love in the second set of her second-round match against Ashley Harkleroad, Venus Williams smacked the record-breaking shot. Harkleroad actually got her racket on the ball, making it a service winner rather than an ace.
Williams noticed the readout of 206 kph on the court's radar meter and let out a laugh, cracking her concentration.
"I loved it," she said. "I just lost a bit of focus there, for sure."
Williams wound up winning 6-1, 7-6 (8).
"When I was younger, I was always trying to serve harder and harder, and now I'm not trying to serve hard. It comes hard," she said. "So it was unexpected."
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