US Open: Serena Williams set to take place alongside legends

Serena Williams sets out on the journey to become the first tennis player, to complete the calendar grand slam for 27 years.

Serena Williams has won the last three US Open titles.

Serena Williams has had plenty of time for introspection in the seven weeks that have elapsed since she won Wimbledon and put herself in line to become the first tennis player, female or male, to complete the calendar grand slam for 27 years.

If Williams is successful she will become only the fourth contestant in the wake of Rod Laver, Margaret Court and Steffi Graf, all unquestioned legends, to have accomplished the slam since tennis entered its present era by going open in 1968.

In the 51 days since beating Garbine Muguruza on Centre Court to win the 21st slam of her far from conventional career, she has come to understand the magnitude of what she stands on the brink of achieving while also being conversant of being just how disappointing it will be to fail.

And when she walks on to Arthur Ashe Stadium tomorrow, a sporting stage that has seen her both excel with six US Open titles including the last three in succession, and degrade the image of female tennis with a couple of unforgivable tantrums against Kim Clijsters in 2009 and Samantha Stosur two years later, she is likely to be beset with as much anxiety as a newcomer.

That Vitalia Diatchenko, the 25-year-old Russian, her initial opponent, has played the main draw in New York once previously and that four years ago when she was beaten in the first round, is an irrelevance. Thereafter fate has conspired to present Williams with a draw that could be termed as brutal and her susceptibility to young challengers in the first week of a slam is set to be put to the upmost test by Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys, her fellow Americans.

“I get nervous every time I walk out on to a court and frankly I’d be concerned if I wasn’t,” said the world No 1, who will turn 34 in less than a month’s time. “But as of now I don’t feel any fresh pressure. I can only try to perform the best I can but if I make it far in this tournament, then the pressure will build.”

Williams’s passage to this point has not been without drama. In the Australian Open, she had to leave court to vomit in the final against Maria Sharapova and before beating Lucie Safarova in the French Open final, she was so unwell 24 hours previously she doubted whether she would be fit enough to walk on to court. Then she flirted dangerously with defeat against Heather Watson in Wimbledon’s third round, going within two points of going out.

Each time her stoic resolve, immense experience and intimidating presence across the net that can almost paralyse opponents in times of stress, has come to her rescue. But with so much expectation heaped upon her shoulders, regardless of what she says, New York will be even more exacting.

“Madison is playing really well, Sloane is playing excellent so it’s not going to be anything easy or simple to go through,” she agreed. “But being experienced has helped me through a lot of matches like this. Arthur Ashe Stadium is the biggest stadium for tennis players in the world. It doesn’t get any bigger or better than this.”

Williams’s susceptibility to younger hopefuls in the early rounds is well known and was perfectly illustrated in that memorable Friday evening against Watson along with, it seemed, every member of the 15,000 Centre Court crowd. Since then the paths of the finest player that the Channel Islands have ever produced and arguably the most forceful woman ever to pick up a racket have not crossed.

Tomorrow, eight hours before Williams begins her prime-time quest, Watson will amble out on to distant Court 17 for her first round against yet another American, Lauren Davis, who is ranked No 84. Nowadays, she tries not to think too much about what might have been in that memorable battle that seemed to promise so much for her future. However, she doesn’t need reminding how close she came to diverting the course of tennis history.

“That thought breaks my heart,” admitted Watson, who won the US Open junior title six years ago but has not managed to win a round of the senior version in four previous attempts and, since almost beating Williams at Wimbledon, has only managed one main draw victory. “I’ve watched the tape of the Serena match; it was 30-all, I was serving to give myself match point.

“I hit a forehand that kind of wrong-footed her but she just got it back, and I’m thinking if I’d hit it just a little bit harder then I could have gone within a point of winning. It’s the worst feeling ever and I just want to go back and hit that shot a little different. However, she won because she’s so experienced and knows how to control her nerves.

“Now I think it would be amazing for her to complete the grand slam, and it’s looking very likely. She’s in great shape and is playing well. As for me, I can only learn from what happened and make sure I don’t make the same mistake next time.”

The Times