After a wild day at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, from her first point on Thursday night, Serena Williams seemed determined not to join the growing list of seeded players unceremoniously sent home early from the US Open.
Despite a downpour that began shortly before their game against Margarita Gasparyan and a temporary delay in closing the roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium, Williams wasn’t put off. The 23-time major champion won every point of the first game. When Gasparyan found her rhythm in the second movement, Williams could be heard screaming “Come on Serena, come on!” ready to end the match 6-2, 6-4.
“The women’s side of this tournament has already scored so many hits that it would have been disastrous for the severity of the draw if Serena hadn’t won to keep interest high,” said Pam Shriver, 21-time major double champion and ESPN- Analyst. “Of course, all of these remaining players have great stories and talent, but when it comes to the women’s draw on the news, she’s still the star.”
After a fairly routine opening round, the second round was anything but expected. Karolina Pliskova, the top seed of the tournament, was knocked off in straight sets by Caroline Garcia on Wednesday afternoon. The next 36 hours were full of surprises. Aryna Sabalenka, Johanna Konta, Garbine Muguruza, Elena Rybakina, Marketa Vondrousova, Alison Riske and Dayana Yastremska – all in the top 20 – joined Pliskova.
Only 19 of the 32 seeds are left. Three round two games remain to be completed on Friday after being banned from rain.
With six of the top ten players in the world choosing not to play this year due to various concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic, the draw may have been more open than ever. And with 11 different big champions since the start of the 2017 season, that certainly says something. Now with so many competitors out of the picture, anyone could win the US Open.
“It’s an era of unpredictable times for women’s tennis, and now, with COVID-19 and the long layoff, it brings with it an entirely different level of unpredictability,” said Shriver. “So you have an unpredictable tournament at an unpredictable point in history and who knows how an athlete comes out to play. So you put all of that together and, you know, God bless anyone who can sort it out or predict will happen next. “
Sofia Kenin, the reigning Australian Open champion and number 2, dominated her 6-4, 6-3 win against Canadian teenager Leylah Fernandez on Thursday. Sloane Stephens, the 2017 champion who will face Williams on Saturday, drove her 6-2, 6-2 win over Olga Govortsova. The two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka made a statement in New York on Thursday with a Western & Southern Open title and a surprise about Sabalenka with fifth place on the grid. Petra Kvitova and Angelique Kerber, both multiple Grand Slam winners, remain, and several Americans, including Madison Keys, Amanda Anisimova and Jennifer Brady, are aiming for their first big win.
Those previously counted also have a chance. Unranked Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova, who defeated former Wimbledon and French Open champions and 2020 Australian Open finalist Muguruza, had not played a competitive game since Wimbledon in 2017 this week.
“I always knew it was inside of me because it’s not the first time I’ve had it [won against] a top player, “said Pironkova.” I [have] I’ve been on the tour for almost 15 years and I’ve had many occasions playing against the best of the best players.
“I think I was mentally prepared. It’s nothing super new. [At] At the same time, I felt good, I moved well, I hit the ball well. Why not win? “
Even with more than a dozen women capable of winning their next five games, Williams, who continues her quest for Margaret Court with 24 slam titles, remains the tournament favorite alongside Naomi Osaka. The two were able to meet again in the US Open final, as they did at a memorable championship in Osaka in 2018.
Osaka, who struggled after winning two majors at the 2018 US Open and 2019 Australian Open, said she was not thinking about her next game against 18-year-old Marta Kostyuk on Friday.
“I stopped thinking about winning,” she said. “I feel like I’m putting too much pressure on myself. I just think about getting myself in a good position to win. But I take it match after match.”
1:06
Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic are in action, plus a showdown between the US and Canada on US Open Day 5.
In a year of uncertainty, there has been speculation that players who were used to feeding themselves on the energy of a crowd might have trouble. Pliskova did not seem to believe anything that had contributed to her loss.
“I think there are only a few girls who play good tennis,” said Pliskova after her loss on Wednesday. “I think Garcia is one of them.”
During her court interview on Thursday, Williams said the environment was somewhat comforting. All that begs the question, could the lack of fans actually give her the added edge she missed during her last four appearances since returning from having a baby? She lost in the Wimbledon and US Open finals in 2018 and 2019.
“We all know how well Serena can play and how strong mentally she is,” said Alexandra Stevenson, a former Wimbledon semi-finalist and ESPN analyst. “I think not having a crowd helps her because something happens when she gets to the finals with the crowd and she just isn’t playing her game. She can bring the fire inside so this could be a really interesting run for her.
“I wouldn’t exactly say it will be easy and she will have a lot of landmines on the way because everyone is going for her. If she can bring it together and serve, as I know, she can serve and bring the fight to the.” all the time and not going back if only she can stay calm and focus on it [five] more games then I think she will hit the record. But she won’t face girls at any point where she can just walk through them. These younger players are no longer as intimidated by her or anyone as others and everyone believes they can win. “
Williams didn’t talk about what she would need to do to cement her place in history after her game on Thursday, but she seemed optimistic about continuing to play on the draw.
“I feel like I’m on a new journey every day, and especially this tournament and this year it’s just a new journey,” she said. “So I feel really good. I am feeling on this journey and I’m going in the right direction.”
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