It was a tough day at the office for a lacklustre Serena Williams who had to recover from a slow start to seal her place in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Friday.
The former world No.1 struggled to find her rhythm initially before fighting back to defeat Russia’s Anastasia Potapova 7-6(5), 6-2, on the Rod Laver Arena. Against the world No.101 Williams produced 19 winners against 31 unforced errors and could only win 32% (9/28) of her second service points. A stark contrast to her opening two matches at the Grand Slam where she dropped only five games in total.
“I came out of the blocks not like I have been before,” Williams admitted during her on-court interview. “But it’s all about surviving and playing better every round.”
Some tentative serving during the opener almost cost the 39-year-old dearly during what was a roller-coaster set. Twice Williams went down a break and she even had to fend off two set points whilst trailing 4-5 to the Russian. Despite the blip she battled to a lead by clinching the tiebreaker before producing a more dominant display. In the second set she broke Potapova three times en route to victory.
“It was good to get through that match,” Williams said during her press conference. “The first set was extremely tight. I was a little tight, but it worked out. I was able to play a little more free in the second set.”
For the 39-year-old and her peers, Friday is the last time for at least five days where they have the luxury of playing in front of fans. The Melbourne government has ordered a snap lockdown in the region following an outbreak of COVID-19 at a local hotel. Up to 30,000 have been allowed to attend the Grand Slam until now.
It is not the first time a tournament has gone behind closed doors but for many players they use the crowd to gain momentum when playing. Williams herself admits the latest decision is ‘not ideal’ for her bid to win a record-equalling 24th major.
“It’s going to be a rough few days for I think everyone. But we’ll hopefully get through it,” she said.
“It’s not ideal. It’s been really fun to have the crowd back. It’s been really cool.But at the end of the day we have to do what’s best. Hopefully it will be all right.”
Next up for Williams is a showdown with Aryna Sabalenka in what is expected to be by far her most difficult encounter yet at Melbourne Park. Sabalenka comes into the Grand Slam winning three out of her four previous tournaments and is seeded seventh in the draw. It will be the first ever meeting between the two of the Tour.
“She hits very hard. She has a big, big power game. She’s a big girl. Strong like myself. So I think it will be a really good match – with no crowd,” Williams previewed.
The latest triumph is Williams’ 90th at the Australian Open in what is a record for the tournament.
