Serena Williams returns to the spotlight at the US Open on Thursday bidding to extend her long goodbye to tennis in a second round clash with world number two Anett Kontaveit.
The 23-time Grand Slam-winning sporting and cultural icon, playing in what is expected to be her final tournament, faces Kontaveit in another prime-time match at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
On Tuesday, a galaxy of stars and celebrities turned out to watch Williams make her 2022 tournament bow with a straight sets first round win over Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic, the world number 80.
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Williams has signalled that this year’s US Open will be her last tournament as a professional, revealing in a Vogue magazine essay this month that the “countdown” to retirement had begun.
But the 40-year-old demurred when invited to confirm definitively that she would be retiring after her US Open campaign.
“I have been pretty vague about it, right? I’m going to stay vague because you never know,” Williams said with a smile.
She also admitted that the intoxicating atmosphere surrounding Monday’s first round match — which felt more like a rock concert than a sporting contest — would be hard to walk away from.
“It’s extremely difficult still because I absolutely love being out there,” she said.
Whether Williams is able to extend her US Open campaign further than Wednesday’s second round assignment remains to be seen.
If she is able to rediscover more consistency in her serve, she may well have enough firepower to take down Kontaveit, whose world number two ranking belies a modest record in Grand Slams. Her best result in a major championship is a single quarter-final appearance at the 2020 Australian Open.
MURRAY DAZZLES, DE MINAUR BURIES DEMONS
Earlier, former champion Andy Murray reached the US Open third round for the first time in six years with a four-set win over American wildcard Emilio Nava, while Australian Alex de Minaur exacted revenge on Cristian Garin.
Murray, who famously ended Britain’s 76-year wait for a men’s Grand Slam title when he won the US Open in 2012, came out on top 5-7, 6-3, 6-1, 6-0.
“Physically this is the best I’ve felt in the last few years,” said 35-year-old Murray.
“My movement is by far the best it’s been in a long time. I’m getting closer to where I want to be and hopefully I can have a deep run here.”
Nava, ranked 203 in the world, claimed a gruelling 84-minute first set with an impressive crosscourt forehand winner.
But the 20-year-old, who had needed five sets to see off John Millman in the first round, eventually ran out of steam, winning just four more games and ending the contest with 56 unforced errors.
“He was dictating the points in the first set,” said Murray of his opponent. “But then I was hitting it deeper and was able to control the points. “He played his first five-set match in the first round and that can be very tough, I think his level dropped but he will have a bright future.” Murray last made the third round in 2016 on his way to the quarter-finals. If he is to progress further, he may have to get past world number 14 Matteo Berrettini, a semi-finalist in New York in 2019.
Berrettini defeated Murray in the final of the Stuttgart grasscourt tournament in June.
“He’s had a bit of an unlucky year,” said Murray.
“I know he got Covid at the beginning of Wimbledon. When he has been on the court he’s done really well.
“We played a tough three-set match in Stuttgart. I’m expecting it to be really difficult but if I play well and my return’s on point then I’ve got a good chance.”
Meanwhile, De Minaur got one back over Garin, the Chilean star who came back from match point and two sets to love down to beat the Australian at Wimbledon.
The Australian won the opening two sets 6-3 6-0, before dropping the third 6-4.
This time, though, he didn’t panic; the Australian No.1 closing out the match with a 6-2 fourth set.
“I’m very happy with my level, but probably the happiest with how I was mentally. That, for me, was very important coming into the match and how I dealt with the circumstances,” de Minaur said.
“Yeah, happy to get through another match. That’s what I’m so proud of, that I was able to bounce back and not let it affect me.
“I easily could have started thinking about what happened in Wimby, being two sets to love up and kind of letting that one escape away from me.
“But I kind of knuckled down, stuck to my weapons and my tactics and what I wanted to do. I was able to go on top on the third and play some great tennis to finish it off.”
SAKKARI CRASHES OUT
In early women’s draw action, China’s Wang Xiyu produced a memorable upset after dumping out third seed Maria Sakkari of Greece, winning 3-6, 7-5, 7-5.
The 21-year-old had never been past the second round of a Grand Slam tournament before, but uncorked 35 winners while saving 12 of 17 break points to secure her win.
Wang, ranked 75th in the world, has happy memories of New York, having won the junior US Open title at the venue in 2018.
Elsewhere, Tunisia’s beaten Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur sailed into the last 32 with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Elizabeth Mandlik of the United States.
Fifth-seeded Jabeur became the first Arab or African woman in history to reach a Grand Slam final at Wimbledon in July, where she was beaten by Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina.
STILL TO COME
In the men’s draw, defending champion and top seed Daniil Medvedev will follow Williams on Arthur Ashe with a second round tie against unheralded Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech.
A victory for Medvedev could potentially set up a David v Goliath third round meeting with Chinese qualifier Wu Yibing.
Wu became the first Chinese man in 63 years to win a singles match at a Grand Slam when he knocked 31st seed Nikoloz Basilashvili out of the tournament.
The 22-year-old, ranked 174th in the world, is aiming to extend his campaign with a second round clash against Portugal’s Nuno Borges. The winner will face either Medvedev or Rinderknech.
Australian Nick Kyrgios will also be in action on Thursday, facing Benjamin Bonzi.
