US Open 2011 Women's Champion? – Part 6: Serena Williams
Concluding the six part series, we take a look at the former world number one American Serena Williams. A destructive force in the world of women tennis till 2010, Serena dropped from the action halfway through the season after
incurring an injury on her left foot after Wimbledon last year. Out of action for a good part of 2010 and 2011, Serena only returned to the world of tennis in June 2011 at the start of the grass court season.
The only “other” woman in the Open Era to complete a Career Grand Slam, Serena is the only active player than can match the German legend, Steffi Graf. A dominant world number one than any other on tour, Serena bests the likes
of Maria Sharapova, Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic by a long shot. Winner of thirteen Grand Slam titles, Serena completed her career Grand Slam in 2003 after she won the 2003 Australian Open, 2002 Wimbledon and Roland Garros and the 1999 US Open.
A star and stripes girl through and through, it was only befitting that the now 29-year-old started her marvellous Grand Slam run with a title win at the 1999 US Open. Debuting at the event in 1998, Serena exited from the event
in the third round losing to Romanian Irina Spirlea. Ranked 6th the following year and seeded 7th, Serena made it all the way to the finals where she defeated the then world number one, Swiss Martina Hingis in straight sets. Not a one-hit
wonder like many before here, Serena was the girl of the hour or the decade. With two more final appearances two years later, Serena once more managed a title win at Flushing Meadows when she defeated compatriot and sister, Venus Williams in 2002 after having
lost to her in 2001. A drought followed the American in her home tournament as she managed to not make it further than the quarterfinal for the next half a decade. It was only in 2008 that she once more made it big, winning the title against Jelena Jankovic.
If three time winner at Flushing Meadows and a thirteen time Grand Slam champion wasn’t reason enough to be a fan favourite, Serena has yet another reason to be especially driven for a successful run at the event this time around.
Losing in the semi-final of the 2009, following an argument with a line judge, Serena lost her chance at the title after the match point was handed to Kim Clijsters. Wanting to redeem herself at the event, a cool calm Serena is expected to make it all the
way to the finals this time around with almost no emotional eruptions.
Following a mediocre grass court season in 2011 with a fourth round loss to Marion Bartoli at 2011 Wimbledon, Serena failed to defend her title and plummeted out of the rankings all the way to 171st position. Making
her way back into the top 50, Serena gave it her all on the hard courts as she won the titles at Stanford and Toronto. Absent from the Flushing Meadows last year due to a pulmonary embolism, even a fourth round showing will catapult the American high into
the top ten.
Seeded 28th at the event, Serena has a potential third round showing with world number five Victoria Azarenka, a potential fourth round against former world number one Ana Ivanovic and a quarterfinal against top “tenners“
Jelena Jankovic or Francesca Schiavone. Suffering only one or no loss to each of these players throughout her career, Serena is expected to sail smoothly all the way into the last four at least.
Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in the article are the writer’s own personal views and have nothing to do with bettor.com’s editorial policy.
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