Serena's clay swing gets worse with Parma loss
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PARMA • Serena Williams' preparations for the French Open at the end of the month took a big blow when she crashed out of the Emilia-Romagna Open in Parma.
The 39-year-old American suffered a shock 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 loss to the Czech Republic's Katerina Siniakova in the last 16 yesterday.
The former WTA doubles No. 1 earned her first top-10 win in nearly two years and will likely send world No. 8 Williams to Roland Garros having won just one match since February.
The 25-year-old, who ousted then world No. 1 Naomi Osaka at the French Open in 2019, won 16 of the final 18 points to advance in 94 minutes on Centre Court.
"I feel amazing, it was a fantastic match, I played so good. I am so happy I could finish it like this, it was really a pleasure to share with her the court," said Siniakova in a video posted on the WTA's Twitter account.
Williams won the last of her Grand Slams at the 2017 Australian Open before becoming a mother and has since been chasing a 24th title to equal Margaret Court's record.
On Monday, she won her first match since losing in the Melbourne semi-finals in February, beating teenage qualifier Lisa Pigato 6-3, 6-2. However, she yesterday joined elder sister Venus out of Parma following the 40-year-old's 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 loss to Anna Schmiedlova a day earlier.
She had lost in the Italian Open last 32 last week.
Williams might be chasing records but she took the time on Monday to admit that she was a "superfan" of Roger Federer.
While fans and pundits continue to debate who is considered the greatest men's tennis player, Williams says Federer gets her vote.
Rafael Nadal, 34, won a record-extending 13th French Open title in October to join Federer at the top of the list of men's Grand Slam winners with 20 titles, while world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, the youngest of the "Big Three" at 33, is on 18.
79 Grand Slams Roger Federer has contested, two more than Serena Williams.
The 39-year-old Federer is this week playing only his second tournament since returning to the Tour in March, after spending more than a year on the sidelines due to two knee operations.
"I think two words sum it up: Roger Federer," Williams, who turns 40 in September, told reporters on Monday. "I just feel like he is really the greatest player. You can't not like the guy, that's how I feel. His game is so fantastic."
Federer took on Pablo Andujar in his Geneva Open opener yesterday, losing 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
"It was something that I wanted, to have a match against Roger, just to tell my kids and my grandkids when I get older that I played him," Spaniard Andujar said before the clash.
REUTERS
WTA EMILIA ROMAGNA OPEN
Day 3: StarHub Ch204, 5pm
