07: Serena Williams of the United States serves the ball during her
Women’s Singles fourth round match against Maria Sakkari of Greece
on Day Eight of the 2020 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King
National Tennis Center on September 7, 2020 in the Queens borough
of New York City. Al Bello/Getty Images/AFP
Serena Williams battled into the quarter-finals of the US Open
on Monday as top men’s seeds Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev
sailed through to the last eight at Flushing Meadows.
After Williams kept her bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand
Slam singles title alive, second seed Sofia Kenin was sent crashing
out in the last 16 by Belgium’s Elise Mertens.
Williams had to summon up every last ounce of strength to depose
15th seed Maria Sakkari in three hard-fought sets.
The 38-year-old American needed almost two and a half hours to
dislodge her 25-year-old Greek opponent 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3 inside
an empty Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.
“She’s such a good competitor. It was a really intense match,”
said Williams, who had been dumped out of a US Open tuneup
tournament by the same opponent last month.
“I felt like she almost played better today. I was a little
fatigued last time and had some cramps. Just felt like I was able
to compete longer,” Williams added.
There was little separating the players throughout the
energy-sapping contest, with Williams notching 107 total points to
Sakkari’s 99.
Williams won 72 percent of points off her first serve while
Sakkari won 73 percent. Sakkari also outdid Williams on aces, by 13
to 12.
Williams rallied from two games down in the deciding set,
pumping herself up with loud screams that echoed around the
spectator-free arena as she broke Sakkari twice to clinch the
last-eight spot.
“I’m super passionate. This is my job. This is what I wake up to
do. This is what I train to do 365 days of the year,” Williams said
afterwards.
The American will play Tsvetana Pironkova for a place in the
semi-finals after the Bulgarian ousted France’s Alize Cornet in
another draining three-setter.
– ‘Absolutely unreal’ – Pironkova, playing her first tournament
in three years after a lengthy break in which she gave birth to her
son, prevailed 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 at the Louis Armstrong
Stadium.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
“It’s absolutely unreal, I really can’t believe it,” said
Pironkova, whose last tournament appearance before this year’s US
Open was the 2017 Wimbledon championships when she exited in the
second round.
Mertens ousted Kenin, this year’s Australian Open champion, 6-3,
6-3 in 1hr 14 mins to set up a last-eight tie with former world
number one Victoria Azarenka.
The Belarusian overcame 20th seed Karolina Muchova of the Czech
Republic 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 in 2hr 30min at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
In the men’s draw, second-seeded Thiem raced into the round of
eight with a three-set demolition of Canadian rising star Felix
Auger-Aliassime.
Thiem dismantled the 20-year-old 15th seed 7-6 (7/4), 6-1, 6-1
in 2hr 7min.
“I played a great match today, the best one from my whole
America trip,” said Thiem.
He will play Australia’s 21st seed Alex de Minaur for a spot in
the semi-finals after the Australian breezed past unseeded Canadian
Vasek Pospisil 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, 6-2, in 2hr 17 min.
Third seed Medvedev blew away unseeded American France Tiafoe
6-4, 6-1, 6-0 in only 1hr 38 min.
“I’m pleased with the fact that I’ve won all of these sets and
didn’t have to stay long on the court. That’s always good when
you’re playing a Grand Slam,” said the Russian.
Medvedev will face compatriot Andrey Rublev for a spot in the
last four after the 10th seed ousted Italy’s sixth seed Matteo
Berrettini 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
The men’s competition was blown wide open on Sunday after world
number one Novak Djokovic was thrown out for accidentally hitting a
line judge after smashing a ball in frustration during his last-16
match.
His departure means the US Open will this year produce a
first-time Grand Slam winner in the men’s competition.
Williams is seeking to equal Margaret Court’s record for the
most women’s Grand Slam singles titles.
A tournament victory at the weekend would also see her break
away from Chris Evert, on six titles, as the most decorated US Open
champion of the women’s game in the modern era.