Serena Williams extended her US Open party on Wednesday, defeating No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit in three sets. This win gives the 37-year-old the chance to play in the third round of the US Open. Here are a few things we learned from Williams’ win over Kontaveit.
Serena Williams’ opponent was introduced just by her name
Earlier on Wednesday, Serena Williams’ opponent was introduced just with her name: Ajla Tomljanovic. A big fan of Williams, Tomljanovic is expected to give Williams a run for her money. Tomljanovic’s recent losses included the 2021 U.S. Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez, as well as the 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova. The 29-year-old Tomljanovic is expected to win this match as well.
Throughout the match, fans cheered when Williams won points and yelled encouragement to her. However, fans were loud enough to disturb the match, so the chair umpire asked fans to keep quiet during the service toss. However, after the match, Kontaveit returned to her locker room and gathered her racket.
Serena Williams is 41 years old, and has said this might be her last tournament. She has played five singles matches since June, four of which were against unknown opponents. She is also playing at Arthur Ashe Stadium, which has not always been a comfortable place for her.
The first set ended in a tiebreaker as Kontaveit broke Williams’ serve three times and sent the match to a third set. Williams then took a break to go to the bathroom, leaving her opponent to finish her match.
Serena Williams’ performance in the third round
The former world No. 1 is playing her last US Open match before retirement. She defeated Estonian No. 2 Anett Kontaveit in the second round, winning the match in three sets. While this might not have been the result Serena had been hoping for, her performance was still impressive.
Williams’ forehand is powerful and she returns Kontaveit’s serves to the net. The second set ends in a tiebreak, which Kontaveit won. In the deciding set, Williams hits a forehand into the net and returns a forehand that misses Kontaveit’s backhand. The third set, however, is all about Williams. She wins the opening game by breaking Kontaveit. She then serves an ace and gets to game point before losing.
While Serena Williams’ performance on Tuesday lacked the intensity of her win against Kontaveit, she still made it clear that she has the right mentality to win. She was a fierce competitor who came to New York with the intent to win. She continued to wear the same glittery top as Monday, and her diamond-accented sneakers. The right shoelace tag said “Queen.”
Williams served at 119 mph during the first set and held her own during the second set. In the final set, Williams broke Kontaveit for a 5-4 edge, but was eventually unable to maintain the advantage. Her performance was boosted by the presence of Emmy Award-winning actress Zendaya in the player’s box.
Serena Williams’ victory over Kontaveit
Serena Williams’ victory over Kontactaveit extends her US Open party into the quarterfinals. The 40-year-old had reached the quarterfinals once before, but this is her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. Her victory over Kontaveit was a statement of her confidence and will to win. It was also a statement of the impact of Rena Stubbs’ addition to Williams’ coaching staff. The former Wimbledon champion and ESPN commentator coached Williams in practice sets against other players, something she rarely does. In these practice sets, Williams improved her movement and defense, as well as her ball strike time.
Serena Williams’ US Open victory over Kontaveit extended her winning streak to 44 matches. She had previously signalled her intent to retire after the US Open. But the victory over Kontaveit has put an end to those rumors. The world No. 1 hit 119 mph on her serves in this match. She also stayed close to her opponent throughout a lengthy exchange of big swings.
Venus Williams’ US Open victory was no less impressive. The 29-year-old broke Kontaveit twice in the deciding set and closed out the match in front of a sold-out crowd that included Tiger Woods. Afterward, Williams said that she was just doing what she does best. Kontaveit had led 2-0 in the second set, but Williams rallied to win two more games.
Serena Williams’ celebration
The US Open is officially over, but Serena Williams isn’t ready to hang up her tennis racket. Despite a shaky start, she came back and won her first match at the tournament. She beat fellow world number two Anett Kontaveit in three sets. Fans packed Arthur Ashe Stadium to witness her first Grand Slam victory. The crowd was loud and the celebration was more of a festival than a farewell.
Serena Williams’ celebration extended to the U.S. Open final, which she won in three sets over the No. 2 seed Annette Kontaveit of Estonia. After the match, Williams’ family was joined by Tiger Woods, who watched the match from the player box. Afterwards, he gave her his signature fist pump.
Celebrities who weren’t able to make it to the US Open celebration were still able to show their support by tweeting about Williams’ win. Vice President Kamala Harris, Alison Felix, and Patrick Mahomes all tweeted about the American tennis legend. Williams was also hailed by Billie Jean King and Bill Clinton.
As a woman, Williams celebrated her first Grand Slam title in the women’s singles final by defeating her sister Venus. This was her first major title since losing to Venus in the 2001 final. She won in three sets, including two tiebreaks. She is just one win away from matching Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles.
Daniil Medvedev’s win over Arthur Rinderknech
Daniil Medvedev’s win in the second round at the US Open on Thursday extends his streak to nine matches in a row at Flushing Meadows. The Russian defeated France’s Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets and is now through to the third round. The Russian saved three break points on his serve and broke five times in a two-hour, eleven-minute match.
Williams will start the night session with a match against Anett Kontaveit of Estonia. The Estonian has already beaten Serbian No. 1 Danka Kovinic to make the semifinals. The defending men’s champion Daniil Medvedev plays the French Arthur Rinderknech in the second round.
The full men’s draw is available here. The top four seeds are Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev, and Stefanos Tsitsipas. The top half of the men’s draw will play each other Monday and Tuesday, while the bottom half will start on Wednesday.
The other matches in the US Open were also notable. The first round saw Daniil Medvedev defeat the world’s no. 31 seed Nikoloz Basilashvili. The win also extended the US Open party. Zhizhen Zhang, the first Chinese man in the main draw since 1968, was the other Chinese man to make the cut. Zhizhen Zhang, however, ended up losing to Tim Van Rijthoven in five sets.
Daniil Medvedev’s loss to Felix Auger-Aliassime
Serena Williams hasn’t played much tennis in the last few years. However, she’s still so good that she can go deep in a Grand Slam event without doing much match preparation. Her loss of four Slam finals since giving birth to Olympia suggests that she could have benefited from more tournaments and more intense training blocks.
Serena Williams’s spirited performance came after she fell behind in the second set against Anett Kontaveit, a 29-year-old Estonian ranked 46th. She remained close with Kontaveit despite losing the opening set. Williams hit a forehand volley at 119 mph and was able to hold her own during long baseline exchanges. When Kontaveit was serving, Williams showed her trademark brilliance to break the tiebreaker. Then, she broke before the third set and re-emerged a stronger player.
Serena Williams was able to extend her US Open party and prove that she can still play at a high level in spite of age. In addition, she made a touching tribute video to Venus Williams, which was viewed by two million people. Throughout her career, she has broken barriers in tennis and paved the way for generations of female and Black athletes.
Venus Williams will be playing in the doubles competition alongside her sister Venus. In the doubles draw, she will face No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit in the second round. Then, she could face Leylah Fernandez in the fourth round.
