US Open: Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic resume their quest for greatness

Novak Djokovic has been nerveless and Serena Williams slightly below her best when preparing for a US Open

Serena Williams has struggled to close out matches in the past 12 months

In New York over the next fortnight, two legends of tennis resume their quest to stand above all others to have played the sport.

Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams are favourites to win the respective singles titles of a unique US Open featuring 10 Australians, with six in action on the opening day.

Djokovic is chasing an 18th grand slam title, which would tighten the gap in his pursuit of 20-time major champion Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who holds 19.

Williams remains one major away from Margaret Court’s 24. When she won the Australian Open in 2017, her ascension seemed certain. But that is no longer the case. It is now a matter of if she will equal Court’s record rather than when.

Djokovic, fresh from winning a 35th Masters level title in the Cincinnati event relocated to New York, is priced by the TAB at $1.85 to complete the “bubble double”.

Williams, beaten in Lexington and Cincinnati in the lead-in, shares favouritism at $6 with Naomi Osaka, the woman who whipped her in a US Open final in 2018.

Both legends can triumph. But while Djokovic can still bend matches to his will, as he demonstrated again over the past week, it seems the once irrepressible Williams now needs fate to fall her way.

The Serbian allayed fears that coronavirus, which he contracted in June, would sap his stamina with two strong efforts over the weekend.

He overcame Roberto Bautista-Agut, who boasts a good record against him, in a deciding set tie-breaker and then came from a set and break behind to topple Milos Raonic.

One of only three major winners in the field alongside the returning Andy Murray and Marin Cilic, Djokovic is unbeaten in a COVID-19 interrupted season.

He is not infallible. Djokovic battled neck soreness and was tested over the past week. He is also in the midst of a titanic struggle with tour authorities and launched an opposing body of professionals on Saturday.

But if rivals could not beat him over three sets, how will they wrest the crown from him over the best-of-five format?

A surface change has Flushing Meadows playing slicker and lower-bouncing than in recent years, but Andy Roddick and John Millman are among those backing the champion.

“There’s just nowhere to attack him on a fast court,” Roddick wrote on social media. “It only helps his serve and he keeps the ball so firm (and) low on (his backhand) that it’s really tough to create (chances against him).

“It forces you to either stay in a rally (also a bad option) or force the issue from very average positions.”

Millman, who is playing his 29th major and tested Djokovic in a US Open quarterfinal two years ago, said the slickness suited the Serbian superstar.

“This is probably the fastest slam in the world in recent times,” he told News Corp. “The guys that counterpunch really well, guys like Novak, are going to be super competitive. Djokovic is the class player in the field and he is the one to beat.”

Djokovic has proven time and again that he is nerveless in critical moments.

Consider the Wimbledon final last year when he won all three tiebreakers in a five-set epic over Federer.

Or the Australian Open decider against Dominic Thiem this year. Or even the wins over Bautista-Agut and Raonic over the weekend.

What a list 😍

✅ Record-tying 35 Masters 1000 titles
✅ Second Golden Masters
✅ 26th straight win
✅ 80th career title
✅ 23-0 in 2020#CInCyTENNIS | @DjokerNole pic.twitter.com/YCzGyUSkc8

— Western & Southern Open (@CincyTennis) August 29, 2020

Williams, as she has edged closer to 40, has struggled on the biggest stages and, more recently, failed to close out matches.

The four finals the American has made since returning to the tour as a mother — two at Wimbledon and two in New York in 2018 and 2019 — have been one-sided affairs.

The 38-year-old started the season with a triumph in Auckland. But she then lost a tight third round clash at the Australian Open to Qiang Wang.

Shelby Rogers defeated her in a deciding set tie-breaker in Lexington and she lost in three sets to Maria Sakkari last week, barely raising a whimper.

Even without world No 1 Ash Barty and with six of the top 10 women missing, there are quality performers across an even field including Osaka and Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin.

Quizzed about her hopes on Saturday, Williams said: “Obviously I’m never satisfied. That’s been the story of my career.” Whether satisfaction arrives over the next fortnight is an open question.

Never satisfied 😤

Tag the player behind this soundbite 👇 pic.twitter.com/SAycfjlcZc

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 29, 2020

The superstars aside, Australian Ajla Tomljanovic faces a significant test against three-time major champion Angelique Kerber on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Maddison Inglis plays 24th seed Magda Linette, Astra Sharma is pitted against 19th seed Dayana Yastremska and Lizzie Cabrera meets Danka Kovinic.

Jordan Thompson plays Italian Stefano Travaglia while Marc Polmans, who is making his US Open debut, faces Marcos Giron.