TENNIS US OPEN – It seemed as though Serena Williams was battling doubt throughout the year particularly on the major stages. She went into all three majors prior to the US Open as the overwhelming favourite and she never made it past the 4th round. From New York, Cordell Hackshaw
US Open: All the interviews, results, draws and OoP
It seemed as though Serena Williams (1) was battling doubt throughout the year particularly on the major stages. She went into all three majors prior to the US Open as the overwhelming favourite and she never made it past the 4th round. In fact in her last two major events, she won only three matches. However, coming into the Open, Williams seems to have found her confidence again and has finally got over the first week hump that had for the year always tripped her up. She took on Kaia Kanepi for a place in the quarterfinals. Despite a few mental checks, Williams dismissed Kanepi 6-3 6-3 in 65 minutes.
Williams won the toss and elected to serve. She opened with a very strong hold at love. On Kanepi’s opening service game, Williams had 4 break points but she was unable to convert on any of them either by making errors or unable to get the return back in play. Perhaps surviving this early scare gave Kanepi some confidence as she kept holding serve more convincingly. However, in the 8th game, Williams converted on her 5th break point and serve for the set 5-3. On her 2nd set point, Williams converted when Kanepi could not keep the return in play. This was a rather clean set from Williams with 6 aces and dropping only 4 points on serve. Kanepi said, “I think her serve was really good … better placement and maybe even more power.”
Williams broke Kanepi to open the 2nd set but was immediately broken at love to level the set. She got back on track as she broke Kanepi for a 3-1 lead and again to serve for the match at 5-2. In what can only be described as sheer nerves, Williams was broken serving for the match winning just one point and offering up two double faults in the game. The occasion of being so close to reaching her first major quarterfinal for the year was seemingly stifling the American as she became very tentative on court. Luckily, Kanepi was also feeling the pressure as she was broken when facing match point, she played an ill-advised dropshot that feel wide of the mark. Williams was through to her 7th consecutive US Open quarterfinals, 6-3 6-3 over Kanepi in 65 minutes.
After the match, Williams noted, “I’m a perfectionist, I always want to be the best, do the best. I think I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well, particularly in the slams, to do really well.” This might explain the difficulties she was having in the 2nd set. Whereas in the 1st set Williams did not drop a single point when she put in the 1st serve, in the 2nd set, she won only 56%. In the 1st set, she had 6 aces and 1 double fault but in the 2nd set, only 2 aces and 3 double faults. Overall, Williams was still serving better than Kanepi, which made a huge difference. They both were getting in 56% of their 1st serves but Williams won 84% of those points compared to Kanepi who only won 64%. Williams had 19 winners and 16 errors whereas Kanepi had 11 winners to 13 errors.
Williams will next play Flavia Pennetta (11) who defeated Casey Dellacqua (26) in straight sets earlier in the day 7-5 6-2. Williams has a 5-0 record against the Italian but does not see it as a foregone conclusion that she would be winner in their quarterfinal match. “I don’t think I have easy matches against her. I think she plays well … We played in Cincinnati. I won. But she played well … This a new week. She obviously learned a lot from that experience and she’s going to come out ready to fire and to play again.”
