US Open 2022: Serena Williams wins once more, advances after beating No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit
Serena Williams eradicated No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-2 within the U.S. Open’s second spherical to make sure that she is going to play at the very least another singles match at what she’s hinted would be the final match of her illustrious profession.
Serena Williams can name it “evolving” or “retiring” or no matter she desires. And she or he will be coy about whether or not or not this U.S. Open will truly mark the tip of her enjoying days. These 23 Grand Slam titles earned that proper.
If she retains enjoying like this, who is aware of how lengthy this farewell will final?
It doesn’t matter what occurs as soon as her journey to Flushing Meadows is over, here’s what is essential to know after Wednesday night time: The 40-year-old Williams remains to be round, she’s nonetheless able to terrific tennis, she’s nonetheless successful — and, just like the adoring spectators whose roars crammed Arthur Ashe Stadium once more — she’s prepared for extra.
Serena Williams of america shakes fingers after defeating Anett Kontaveit of Estonia of their Ladies’s Singles Second Spherical match on Day Three of the 2022 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King Nationwide Tennis Middle on August 31, 2022 within the Flushi
Williams eradicated No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-2 within the U.S. Open’s second spherical to make sure that she is going to play at the very least another singles match at what she’s hinted would be the final match of her illustrious profession.
“There’s nonetheless somewhat left in me,” Williams mentioned with a smile throughout her on-court interview.
“That is what I do greatest,” she added. “I like a problem and I am rising to the problem.”
Oh, is she ever. After beating 80th-ranked Danka Kovinic in straight units Monday, then accumulating her twenty third victory in her previous 25 matches towards somebody ranked No. 1 or No. 2 towards Kontaveit on Wednesday, the six-time champion at Flushing Meadows will play Friday for a spot within the fourth spherical.
Her opponent can be Ajla Tomljanovic, a 29-year-old Australian who’s ranked forty sixth. They’ve by no means met.
USA’s Serena Williams hits a return to Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit throughout their 2022 US Open Tennis match ladies’s singles second spherical match on the USTA Billie Jean King Nationwide Tennis Middle in New York, on August 31, 2022. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
Requested how she’s doing it to this point, Williams replied with a hearty snigger: “Properly, I am a fairly good participant.”
She hit serves at as much as 119 mph, stayed with Kontaveit throughout prolonged exchanges of massive swings from the baselines and conjured up a few of her trademark brilliance when it was wanted most.
After pulling out a good first set, then faltering within the second, Williams headed to the locker room for a little bit of a break earlier than the third.
One thing needed to give, somebody needed to blink.
After they resumed, it was Williams who lifted her stage and emerged as the higher participant.
Simply as she’s performed so many instances, on so many levels, with a lot at stake.
“I am simply Serena. After I misplaced the second set, I assumed, ‘Oh, my goodness, I higher give my greatest effort as a result of this might be it,’” Williams mentioned, absolutely echoing the ideas of each one of many folks paying any consideration.
“I am tremendous aggressive. Actually, I am simply taking a look at it as a bonus. I haven’t got something to show,” she mentioned, which definitely is true. “I by no means get to play like this — since ’98, actually. Actually, I’ve had an ‘X’ on my again since ’99,” the 12 months she claimed her first Grand Slam title on the U.S. Open at age 17.
No matter rust amassed when Williams missed a few 12 months of motion earlier than returning to the tour in late June at Wimbledon seems to have vanished. She misplaced within the first spherical on the All England Membership to a participant ranked outdoors the highest 100 and was 1-3 in 2022 coming into the U.S. Open.
Williams additionally has doubles to play, too. She and her sister, Venus, have gained 14 main championships as a group and can start that occasion Thursday night time.
FILE – Serena Williams of USA celebrates her first spherical victory throughout day 1 of the US Open 2022, 4th Grand Slam occasion of the season on the USTA Billie Jean King Nationwide Tennis Middle on August 29, 2022 in Queens, New York Metropolis. (Jean Catuffe/Getty Photographs)
Kontaveit, a 26-year-old from Estonia, is a robust hitter in her personal proper, the kind that unfold throughout ladies’s tennis over the previous 20 years after a pair of siblings from Compton, California, modified the sport.
However there is a huge caveat connected to Kontaveit’s rating standing: She has by no means gained a lot as one quarterfinal match at any Grand Slam match in 30 profession appearances.
So possibly that is why, very like with Kovinic 48 hours earlier, Williams’ opponent was launched simply by her title, and Kontaveit walked out to a smattering of applause. Williams, in distinction, bought the complete therapy: spotlight video, an inventory of her many accolades and raucous roars.
When the gamers met on the internet for the coin toss and pre-match pictures, Kontaveit appeared over at Williams with a smile. Williams glanced again straight-faced.
The match started with Kontaveit grabbing the primary 5 factors, Williams the following 5. And on they went, forwards and backwards. Kontaveit’s errors have been cheered — even faults, drawing an admonishment for the group from chair umpire Alison Hughes about making noise between serves.
If something, Kontaveit obtained extra acknowledgment from the participant making an attempt to defeat her than anybody else, as Williams would reply to nice photographs with a nod or a racket clap.
Williams broke for a 5-4 edge when Kontaveit pushed a backhand lengthy, spurring yelling spectators to rise to their ft — and Williams’ husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, jumped proper in, too, waving his arms in her path, a couple of rows in entrance of the place Venus and Tiger Woods have been two seats aside.
However with an opportunity to serve out that set, Williams briefly misplaced her means. A missed forehand. A backhand lengthy. A backhand into the web as she went down on one knee. A double-fault made it 5-all.
Ultimately they went to a tiebreaker, and at 3-3, a chant of “Let’s go, Serena!” broke out, accompanied by rhythmic clapping. Quickly, Williams was delivering a 101 mph service winner and a 91 mph ace to seal that set. Identical to outdated instances.
To Kontaveit’s credit score, she didn’t fold, didn’t let the frustration of dropping that set linger.
As a substitute, she raced to a 3-0 edge within the second over the following quarter-hour on the power of 10 winners and 0 unforced errors.
Within the third, it was Williams who gained the higher hand, and it appeared each level she gained elicited an enthusiastic response. After a swinging forehand volley winner put Williams a sport from victory, she raised each arms, then clenched her left fist.
One sport, and 5 minutes later, it was over — and her keep on the U.S. Open might proceed.
