Serena Williams' Last Dance Continues With US Open Second Round Victory

1st September 2022 - by Louis Kalinga

Williams, who won the first of her Grand Slam singles titles as a 17-year-old at the US Open in 1999, said she was now playing with no pressure with the finish line of her remarkable career in sight

USA's Serena Williams celebrates her win against Estonia's Anett Kontaveit during their 2022 US Open Tennis tournament women's singles second round match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, on August 31, 2022. PHOTO | AFP

SUMMARY

Serena Williams stole the show on day 3 of the ongoing US Open overpowering second seed Anett Kontaveit with a battling performance to extend her Grand Slam singles career in dramatic fashion
Williams roared into the third round of the US Open with a 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 6-2 victory at an electric Arthur Ashe Stadium

Serena Williams stole the show on day 3 of the ongoing US Open overpowering second seed Anett Kontaveit with a battling performance to extend her Grand Slam singles career in dramatic fashion.

Serena roared into the third round of the US Open with a 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 6-2 victory at an electric Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The 40-year-old tennis icon, who has signalled she plans to retire after the tournament, drew on all her reserves of resilience and sheer fighting spirit to take down Kontaveit.

Kontaveit appeared to have gained the upper hand over the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion after levelling the match at 1-1 with a dominant second set display.

But Williams showed her champion’s mentality to yank back momentum in the decider, breaking Kontaveit twice before closing out victory to leave a sell-out crowd featuring the likes of golf superstar Tiger Woods on its feet.

"You know this is what I do best. I love a challenge and love rising to the challenge.

"I haven’t played many matches but I’ve been practicing really well and my last few matches it just wasn’t coming together. But the last couple of matches here in New York it’s really come together," a delighted Williams said after her win.

Williams, who won the first of her Grand Slam singles titles as a 17-year-old at the US Open in 1999, said she was now playing with no pressure with the finish line of her remarkable career in sight.

"I don’t have anything to prove, I don’t have anything to win. I have absolutely nothing to lose," she said.

Williams will return to Arthur Ashe on Thursday to take part in the women’s doubles, where she will reunite with elder sister Venus for the first time since 2018.