Serena Williams pushed her swan song match to until another day as she knocked out second seed, Anett Kontaveit in the second round of the US Open on Wednesday night. The six-time champion at Flushing Meadows, however, didn’t have it easy and needed two hours and 27 minutes to claim a 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-2 victory.
The Estonian, ranked no. 2 in the world, had entered the draw in patchy form. But still going in against the American who was struggling as well, she looked to have a slight edge to come through. Nonetheless, it was Williams who came out with her serve helping her out while she punched her terms through her groundstrokes. In the first set, Kontaveit saved three break points in the seventh game to keep herself ahead in the set. A break did come Williams’ way in the ninth game but while serving for the set in the 10th game, pressure told on her and she was broken right back. Two games later, as the set proceeded into the tie-break, Williams held her nerves at bay long enough to take the set and the lead.
In the second set, it was Kontaveit’s turn to dominate play. As she struck winner after winner, Williams looked to be feeling out-of-sorts and totally dissimilar to the player who’d played – and – won the first set. A double break lead put Kontaveit ahead 3-0 but while trying to consolidate the second break, Williams broke back. The 40-year-old’s struggles with her serve still cocontinued and she was broken from being 40-0 up in the game. Williams did hold her serve once in the set, in the seventh game but thereafter wasn’t able to do much as Kontaveit served it out to push the set into the decider.
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In the final set, Williams shrugged off the problems that had grappled her and broke Kontaveit right away in the second game of the set. The two traded a set of breaks thereafter before Williams controlled the match all the way to toppling Kontaveit.
Williams finished the match with 38 winners and 40 unforced errors both of which were higher than her opponent’s tally of 32 winners and 27 unforced errors.
Looking to reach the second week at the 2022 US Open, Serena Williams will now play Ajla Tomljanovic. The Australian beat Evgeniya Rodina, 1-6, 6-2, 7-5 in their second-round match.