Serena faces new reality
American ace's fitness in question despite a depleted field at the US Open this year
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Serena Williams after losing to Maria Sakkari at the recent Western and Southern Open. She is chasing her 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open.
PHOTO: REUTERS
NEW YORK • Serena Williams will face a depleted field at the US Open which starts tomorrow, but her recent form has made clear that her latest quest for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title will hardly be a cakewalk.
Since tennis returned from a Covid-19 hiatus that lasted nearly five months, the former world No. 1 has gone 3-2 in matches that lasted three sets and have taken a toll on her weary legs.
"It's hard to play the way I have been playing and to stay positive," she said.
"And to play nine hours in a week is too much. I don't usually play like that. It's all new for me."
After falling to world No. 116 Shelby Rogers in the Top Seed Open quarter-finals, Williams went on to the Western and Southern Open where she lost in the third round to 13th-seeded Maria Sakkari.
The American squandered an opportunity to close out her Greek opponent on serve in the second set and started getting cramps as her opponent launched a comeback.
With so many of the world's top players opting not to travel to New York amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the path to a Grand Slam title might never again appear so untroubled for Williams.
The 38-year-old will be seeded third at the US Open. She has been drawn into the same quarter as former champion Sloane Stephens, 2017 finalist Madison Keys, two-time Grand Slam winner Garbine Muguruza and Sakkari.
"If she doesn't win this one, I would think people, and more specifically, she herself would most probably doubt that she can win another one," said seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander.
"If she doesn't win this one, it's going to be harder to win the next one and the one after that."
With six of the world's top 10 - including the top-ranked Ashleigh Barty, Simona Halep (second) and holder Bianca Andreescu (sixth) - pulling out of the hard-court event for various reasons, one of Williams' rivals will be Australian Open champion and fellow American Sofia Kenin.
However, the 21-year-old's preparations for Flushing Meadows has been equally out of sync, exiting the opening round of the Western and Southern Open in a straight-set defeat by Frenchwoman Alize Cornet.
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3-2
Record of Serena Williams in three-set matches since the tennis season resumed after the Covid-19 hiatus.
Kenin will be the only reigning Grand Slam champion in the women's draw this year, but she admitted winning in Melbourne had no bearing on her chances of triumphing in New York.
"It is obviously there and no one can ever take that away, but I feel like I have to somehow set that aside," the world No. 4 said.
"Hopefully I'll play a bit better (this week), and hopefully I'll have enough match play... we'll see how it goes."
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HIGH-PROFILE US OPEN WOMEN'S ABSENTEES
ASHLEIGH BARTY (AUS) World No. 1
SIMONA HALEP (ROM) No. 2
ELINA SVITOLINA (UKR) No. 5
BIANCA ANDREESCU (CAN) No. 6
KIKI BERTENS (NED), No. 7
BELINDA BENCIC (SUI), No. 8
At No. 3, Karolina Pliskova is the top seed and the Czech, who is also chasing a maiden Slam, will fancy her chances, having come closest when finishing runner-up in New York in 2016.
The US Open has produced a different champion in each of the previous five years and, given the lack of big names and match practice, there could very well be a new name again come Sept 13.
REUTERS
