ARGUABLY tennis’ greatest ever player will have at least one more match left in her career, after 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams upset second seed Anett Kontaveit to book her place in the third round. The American star was not quite done with yet – having announced her retirement at the conclusion of the US Open – as she fought back from a disappointing second set to close out the Round of 64 match in three, 7-6 2-6 6-2.
In a match that lasted two hours and 27 minutes, Williams stepped up when in counted – following a grinding first set tiebreaker – to take out the Estonian and set up a third round clash with Australian, Ajla Tomljanovic. Williams served 11 aces and on 73 per cnet of her first serve points off a 64 per cent clip, whilst smashing 38 winners past Kontaveit. The second seed by comparison won 70 per cent of her first serve points off a 59 per cent clip, and hit 32 winners – including five aces – but 13 less unforced errors (27). In the end, just one point separated the players (101-100).
“It’s no rush here,” Williams said post-match. “I’m loving this crowd. “I’m a pretty good player. This is what I do. I love a challenge, and I’m rising to the challenge.
“I’m just pleased I showed up because the last few tournaments I didn’t show up,” Williams said. “But I’ve been practicing really well and I’m pleased that I’m finally seeing my practice come into my matches, so that’s nice.”
Williams said for the first time in a long time, she entered the tournament as a complete underdog and had “absolutely nothing to lose”, aiming to go as far as she could at Flushing Meadows.
“I don’t have anything to prove. I don’t have anything to win. I have absolutely nothing to lose,” she said. “Honestly, I never get to play like this since ’98 really. “Literally, I’ve had an X on my back since ’99. “It’s kind of fun. “I really enjoy just coming out and enjoying it. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to do that.”
Tomljanovic reached the third round coming back from a 3-5 deficit in the third set against Russian Eveniya Rodina to win the last four games of the match and salute 1-6 6-2 7-5. It was a pretty good day for the Americans, as seeded players Coco Gauff (12th), Madison Keys (20th), Alison Riske-Amritraj (29th) and Shelby Rogers (31st) all booked their spots in the third round. Along with Kontaveit, third seed Maria Sakkari exited the tournament after going down to China’s Xiyu Wang in three sets, leaving fifth seed Ons Jabeur as the highest ranked player in the bottom half of the draw.
In other results, past US Open winner Bianca Andreescu knocked off Brazilian 15th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia, with Russian Liudmila Samsonova defeating another Canadian in last year’s runner-up, Leylah Fernandez. Aleksandra Krunic came from behind to defeat one-time Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova, while China’s Shuai Zhang, Canada’s Rebecca Marino and Hungary’s Dalma Galfi also reached the next stage of the tournament.
US OPEN WOMEN’S SINGLES RESULTS: ROUND OF 64
Serena Williams (USA) defeated [2] Anett Kontaveit (EST) 7-6 2-6 6-2
Xiyu Wang (CHN) defeated [3] Maria Sakkari (GRE) 3-6 7-5 7-5
[5] Ons Jabeur (TUN) defeated Elizabeth Mandlik (USA) 7-5 6-2
[12] Coco Gauff (USA) defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse (ROU) 6-2 7-6
Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) defeated [14] Leylah Fernandez (CAN) 6-3 7-6
Bianca Andreescu (CAN) defeated [15] Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA) 6-2 6-4
[17] Caroline Garcia (FRA) defeated Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) 6-3 6-1
[18] Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) defeated Maryna Zanevska (BEL) 6-2 6-3
[20] Madison Keys (USA) defeated Camila Giorgi (ITA) 6-4 5-7 7-6
Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) defeated [23] Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) 2-6 6-4 6-2
[29] Alison Riske-Amritraj (USA) defeated Maria Camila Osorio Serrano (COL) 6-4 6-7 7-6
[31] Shelby Rogers (USA) defeated Viktoria Kuzmova (SVK) 7-5 6-1
Shuai Zhang (CHN) defeated Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SK) 7-5 6-1
Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) defeated Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) 1-6 6-2 7-5
Rebecca Marino (CAN) defeated Daria Snigur (UKR) 6-3 7-6
Dalma Galfi (HUN) defeated Harriet Dart (GBR) 6-4 6-0
Jodar and Stojsavljevic claim Junior US Open titles
IT will not be a typical Tuesday for Mika Stojsavljevic today, with the latest Junior US Open winner returning to Amherst School in Loughborough with an additional piece of silverware. The 15-year-old followed in the footsteps of Emma Raducanu by winning a Grand Slam title and returning to high school the next week, with the […]
Sinner salutes for second Grand Slam title
US OPEN champion Jannik Sinner is the toast of Italy after the world number one down top ranked American Taylor Fritz in Flushing Meadows overnight to claim his second Grand slam title. After breaking through for his maiden major at the Australian Open earlier in the year, Sinner overcame home crowd favouritism to win 6-3 […]
Sabalenka salutes for third major at US Open
WORLD number two Aryna Sabalenka is now a three-time Grand Slam winner after triumphing in the US Open final over the weekend. The Belarusian star has won the past two Australian Open titles, and now has a third hardcourt major to add to her collection, going one better than her US Open runner-up performance 12 […]
Five-star Fritz defeats Foe to reach US Open final
IN an epic come-from-behind victory, top seeded American Taylor Fritz was able to knock off his compatriot Frances Tiafoe and become the first United States Grand Slam finalist in 15 years. Not since Andy Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009 has a United States representative reached a Grand Slam final, and one has to go even […]
Mu-chova, Karoline as Pegula storms into US Open final
LOCAL hope Jessica Pegula has come from behind to take down Czech Karolina Muchova, denying her opponent a spot in the US Open final, and reaching her maiden Grand Slam decider in the process. The world number six was one point away from being 6-1 3-0 down and almost out of the US Open, but […]
Brit breakthrough: Draper downs Demon
BRITISH up-and-comer Jack Draper is playing some of the best tennis of his career, with the 22-year-old seemingly past his injury-riddled years and is now into a Grand Slam semi-final. The 25th seed proved too good for a sore Alex de Minaur, winning in straight sets to reach the final four of the US Open […]
Seventh heaven for Pegula at US Open
AFTER half a dozen losing Grand Slam quarter finals, American Jessica Pegula was finally able to reach the final four at a major, defeating world number one Iga Swiatek in front of home fans. In her best major quarter final to-date, Pegula made relatively surprising light work of the top ranked player, winning 6-2 6-4 […]
Fritz’s friend to turn Foe in US Open semi
IT has been 18 years since an American reached the US Open men’s singles final – and 21 years since the home nation lifted the trophy aloft – but that drought will be broken over the weekend. While the player who achieved both of the aforementioned feats Andy Roddick is now retired, one of Taylor […]
Déjà vu for sublime Sabalenka
THERE was a sense of déjà vu in the air when world number two Aryna Sabalenka completely dismantled quarter final opponent Qinwen Zheng at the US Open overnight. The second seed won 6-1 6-2 to reach the semi-finals only 12 months after sending Zheng – then a surprise quarter finalist – home with another comprehensive […]
