Serena Williams Of Old Delights On Second Night Of Us Open Delirium Serena Williams

If this were any other 40-year-old in tennis history, with the rust of a one-year layoff and the nerves of her final tournament, such shortcomings would be expected. But this is Serena Williams. Not only did she hold herself to stratospheric standards, but somehow she fully experienced them during her delirious second night at Arthur Ashe Stadium. By defeating Kontaveit, she delayed her singles retirement for one more round, creating at least one final legendary moment in a career littered with them. After the spectacle of her victory in the first round, with the ceremony on the court and the speech by Billie Jean King, the second round was different. The crowd was slightly quieter, not just there to say goodbye, while Williams was laser-focused. It was immediately locked during a high-intensity first set, which was full of quality shotmaking from both but dominated by Williams’ serve – she is still, at 40, the best server in the world. Under stifling pressure, he sealed the tiebreak as he has done many times over the years – an unreturned serve followed by an ace. To her credit, Kontaveit played a flawless second set, reeling off winners from both wings and the kissing lines, but Williams simply responded by raising her level further and handling the match extremely well in the end. By the final games, she had taken complete control of the baseline and obliterated Kontaveit’s serve until the end. It’s an achievement all the more remarkable considering its limitations. Her first serve was magnificent, but she only averaged 99mph in the first set – she hasn’t served much under pressure in the past year, so she was extremely cautious at first, prioritizing accuracy and percentage over power. Her drive, historically one of her biggest assets, has diminished significantly, yet she found a way to dig out a 19-year-old rally deep into the third set when she needed it most. Despite his lack of fitness, he was a rock in the decisive moments. During her two hours and 27 minutes on court, she played all the hits at least one more time: the aces and vicious winners she saved for important points, the roars and the agony. her diamond sleeves. Halfway through the third set, Williams was frustrated by the electronic call and let the umpire, Alison Hughes, know about it. Then she returned to the baseline and channeled her anger into winning tennis. Serena Williams celebrates her victory. Photo: Jason Szenes/EPA It was particularly surprising considering how far from such form he had looked since his return. Williams lost in the first round of Wimbledon, was easily edged out by Belinda Bencic in Toronto and then dismantled 6-4, 6-0 by Emma Raducanu in Cincinnati. She has described the last few weeks of her career as extremely difficult. Williams arrived in New York with low confidence, but one last chance to make any impression on the bottom line of her career, and no other chance for redemption. The pressure could have been suffocating but, as she has done so many times in her career, she rose to the occasion. Her success came from seeing the tournament final as a bonus rather than the burden it could be. “I’ve had a big red X on my back since I won the US Open in ’99,” he said. “It’s been there my whole career, because I won my first grand slam early in my career. But here it is different. I feel like I’ve already won.” She finished with a flourish, breaking Kontaveit’s serve in the final game and sealing her victory with a backhand return winner. As former player Mary Joe Fernandez dictated the courtside interview, her presence alone was a reminder of Williams’ absurd longevity. Fernandez is 51 and has been retired for 22 years, but she and Williams were rivals in 1999. She asked Williams if she was surprised by her level on the court, which drew a laugh and a lot of stares. “I’m just Serena,” she said. On Thursday night, Williams will return to the same venue, alongside her sister Venus, as they compete together in the doubles for the final time, a spectacle that may be even more emotional and meaningful than the singles. She will next face Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday. It could be the night he finally says goodbye or the next step in one last legendary run. Regardless, on Wednesday night, she gave the world at least one last demonstration of Serena Williams’ unforgettable spectacle in full flow.

title: “Serena Williams Of Old Delights On Second Night Of Us Open Delirium Serena Williams Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-24” author: “Rafael Dowe”

If this were any other 40-year-old in tennis history, with the rust of a one-year layoff and the nerves of her final tournament, such shortcomings would be expected. But this is Serena Williams. Not only did she hold herself to stratospheric standards, but somehow she fully experienced them during her delirious second night at Arthur Ashe Stadium. By defeating Kontaveit, she delayed her singles retirement for one more round, creating at least one final legendary moment in a career littered with them. After the spectacle of her victory in the first round, with the ceremony on the court and the speech by Billie Jean King, the second round was different. The crowd was slightly quieter, not just there to say goodbye, while Williams was laser-focused. It was immediately locked during a high-intensity first set, which was full of quality shotmaking from both but dominated by Williams’ serve – she is still, at 40, the best server in the world. Under stifling pressure, he sealed the tiebreak as he has done many times over the years – an unreturned serve followed by an ace. To her credit, Kontaveit played a flawless second set, reeling off winners from both wings and the kissing lines, but Williams simply responded by raising her level further and handling the match extremely well in the end. By the final games, she had taken complete control of the baseline and obliterated Kontaveit’s serve until the end. It’s an achievement all the more remarkable considering its limitations. Her first serve was magnificent, but she only averaged 99mph in the first set – she hasn’t served much under pressure in the past year, so she was extremely cautious at first, prioritizing accuracy and percentage over power. Her drive, historically one of her biggest assets, has diminished significantly, yet she found a way to dig out a 19-year-old rally deep into the third set when she needed it most. Despite his lack of fitness, he was a rock in the decisive moments. During her two hours and 27 minutes on court, she played all the hits at least one more time: the aces and vicious winners she saved for important points, the roars and the agony. her diamond sleeves. Halfway through the third set, Williams was frustrated by the electronic call and let the umpire, Alison Hughes, know about it. Then she returned to the baseline and channeled her anger into winning tennis. Serena Williams celebrates her victory. Photo: Jason Szenes/EPA It was particularly surprising considering how far from such form he had looked since his return. Williams lost in the first round of Wimbledon, was easily edged out by Belinda Bencic in Toronto and then dismantled 6-4, 6-0 by Emma Raducanu in Cincinnati. She has described the last few weeks of her career as extremely difficult. Williams arrived in New York with low confidence, but one last chance to make any impression on the bottom line of her career, and no other chance for redemption. The pressure could have been suffocating but, as she has done so many times in her career, she rose to the occasion. Her success came from seeing the tournament final as a bonus rather than the burden it could be. “I’ve had a big red X on my back since I won the US Open in ’99,” he said. “It’s been there my whole career, because I won my first grand slam early in my career. But here it is different. I feel like I’ve already won.” She finished with a flourish, breaking Kontaveit’s serve in the final game and sealing her victory with a backhand return winner. As former player Mary Joe Fernandez dictated the courtside interview, her presence alone was a reminder of Williams’ absurd longevity. Fernandez is 51 and has been retired for 22 years, but she and Williams were rivals in 1999. She asked Williams if she was surprised by her level on the court, which drew a laugh and a lot of stares. “I’m just Serena,” she said. On Thursday night, Williams will return to the same venue, alongside her sister Venus, as they compete together in the doubles for the final time, a spectacle that may be even more emotional and meaningful than the singles. She will next face Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday. It could be the night he finally says goodbye or the next step in one last legendary run. Regardless, on Wednesday night, she gave the world at least one last demonstration of Serena Williams’ unforgettable spectacle in full flow.