It's now or never for Williams

MELBOURNE • Serena Williams continues her long quest for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam when the coronavirus-delayed 2021 Australian Open begins tomorrow, four years since her last Major triumph in Melbourne.

It may be this season or never for Williams, who turns 40 in September.

She will have to conquer a field bursting with young talent headed by US Open champion Naomi Osaka, defending champion Sofia Kenin and the home favourite, world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty.

The tournament was put back three weeks to allow all players to quarantine for 14 days, but a coronavirus case at a hotel saw all play shelved on Thursday in warm-up events with hundreds of players and officials ordered back into isolation for Covid tests.

Williams says she has benefited from the delays, using them to recover fully from the Achilles injury suffered during her run to the semi-finals at the US Open, which subsequently caused her to withdraw from Roland Garros.

"I needed time. I don't think I would have been here if it was during the regular season," she said.

"I definitely was pushing the limits, but I'm here."

But Williams, who opens her tournament against unseeded German Laura Siegemund, is not fully fit.

She pulled out of the Yarra Valley Classic semi-finals on Friday, in which she was due to face Barty, and said she would have to manage her shoulder through the Australian Open but was feeling "pretty good".

"I've gotten a lot of treatment already on my shoulder," she added. "I'm super confident it's going to be great."

The American won her 23rd Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open in January 2017, then revealed she had been pregnant with daughter Olympia.

She has reached four Major finals since, twice at Wimbledon and twice at the US Open, but left empty-handed each time.

But she insisted she was unfazed by the pressure of chasing Margaret Court's 24-Slam record.

"It's definitely on my shoulders and on my mind," said the seven-time Australian Open champion.

"I think it's good to be on my mind... I'm used to it now."

Osaka comes into Melbourne as US Open champion, as she did two years ago before battling past Petra Kvitova to lift the Australian Open's Daphne Akhurst Cup.

The Japanese icon is also suffering from a shoulder problem and withdrew from her Gippsland Trophy semi-final against Elise Mertens yesterday.

"My main focus is hoping I can rest enough before the Open," the 23-year-old said.

Kenin, meanwhile, blamed her groin strain on spending two weeks in quarantine.

The American said not being able to practise properly had left her "completely sore" after returning to action at the Yarra Valley Classic.

"You can see that being in a room for two weeks, not playing, practising, it's not the same as playing a match," added the 22-year-old.

She lost in straight sets to Garbine Muguruza in the quarter-finals on Friday, a rerun of last year's Australian Open final.

With the trio having injury niggles, 2019 French Open winner and top seed Barty will carry Australia's hopes of a first home champion in more than 40 years. She came close last year when losing 7-6 (8-6), 7-5 to Kenin in the semis.

Barty had been in unrivalled form pre-pandemic, winning an Australian Open warm-up in Adelaide to add to four WTA titles in 2019, including her maiden Major at Roland Garros.

But the 24-year-old has hardly swung a racket since, electing not to travel because of coronavirus risks.

"It is always a little bit tricky when you haven't played in 12 months," said the Australian, who will face Muguruza in the Yarra Valley Classic final today.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS