And then, it was over. Twenty-three years after Williams won the first of six US Open titles, her career ended with a forehand shot that hit the net and dropped to the court. Williams was felled in the third round by 29-year-old Ajla Tomljanovic 7-5, 6-7, 6-1, her earliest exit at Flushing Meadows. She did not go down easily. The match took three hours and five minutes, including a 14-minute final game, the last defiant stand of a champion whose legacy extends far beyond the court.
