Serena Williams came close to a sensational comeback win on her Wimbledon return before narrowly losing an epic three-setter to Maya Joint.

Serena Williams is set to return to Wimbledon's Centre Court on Tuesday for her first singles match in nearly four years as she plays Maya Joint in the first round of the Grand Slam tournament.

But on Tuesday, the 44-year-old received an electric reception as she stepped back onto the pristine grass courts on which she won seven singles and six women's doubles titles.

Australia have cruised to the final, as predicted, in front of a crowd of 10,023 at The Oval - very impressive considering the 14:30 midweek timing.

Australia sailed through to the T20 World Cup final, beating a hapless West Indies by eight wickets with seven overs to spare.