"When I play, I'm boiling inside. I just try not to show it because it's a lack of composure, and if you give in to your emotions after one loss, you're liable to have three or four in a row."
Chrissie Evert
Showing posts with label US Open. Show all posts
Showing posts with label US Open. Show all posts
Monday, 21 October 2013
Views from the Top - Chris Evert
"When I play, I'm boiling inside. I just try not to show it because it's a lack of composure, and if you give in to your emotions after one loss, you're liable to have three or four in a row."
Chrissie Evert
Monday, 9 September 2013
Serena Wins Fifth US Open
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| Getty Images |
Serena Williams would have felt disappointed with her season had she not seen off Victoria Azarenka to win the US Open for a fifth time.
At 31, the American is more dominant than she has ever been, and her 7-5 6-7 (6/8) 6-1 victory over Azarenka in New York gave her a ninth title of the year.
She has lost only four matches all season, but two of those have come in grand slams, where traditionally she has been at her strongest.
When Azarenka recovered from 4-1 down to take the second set with Williams having twice served for the match, it seemed the world number one may have to contemplate more slam disappointment.
But Williams responded superbly and won the third set easily to add the US Open to the French Open title she clinched in June.
She said: "I felt almost disappointed with my year, to be honest. I felt like, yeah, I won the French Open, but I wasn't happy with my performances in the other two slams, and not even making it to the quarter-finals of one.
"So I definitely feel a lot better with at least a second grand slam under my belt this year."
Williams' victory gave her a 17th grand slam singles title, moving her level with Roger Federer and only one behind both Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.
"It's an honour to be even with Roger," said Williams. "He's been such a great champion throughout the years, and he's just an unbelievable competitor and he's still playing, and he can probably still win more.
"He's just been so incredibly consistent, so we have had really different careers.
"Then to be compared with Chrissy and Martina - I can't necessarily compare myself to them, because numbers-wise they're still greater."
There were high hopes the match would be as dramatic as last year's final between the pair, which Williams won after Azarenka had served for the title, and it did not disappoint.
Williams struggled with the wind in the first set especially, casting panicked glances at her box and appearing distracted by her billowing dress and hair.
But Azarenka could not capitalise, and it looked like Williams would cruise to victory when she moved 4-1 ahead with two breaks of serve in the second set.
Azarenka is as big a fighter as Williams, though, and she hung on grimly and then seized her chance when the American got tight.
Twice Williams served for the match and twice Azarenka broke back, and the Belarusian went on to take the tie-break on her third opportunity.
It seemed like it would be a tough set for Williams to bounce back from but the world number one refocused and pulled away to clinch victory after two hours and 45 minutes.
Williams said: "I obviously would have preferred to close it out in straight sets. But going against a great opponent like Victoria, you have to be able to realise that that can happen and you have to keep fighting for everything.
"I thought, 'I have to stay positive'. It was very easy to get down. I didn't want to get down on myself.
"I wanted to be a little strict with myself so I could play better. I wanted to do different things and try to have a better performance."
Williams admitted she did not deal with the wind as well as she might have, saying: "The wind was unbelievable. It just got worse and worse. It never let up.
"But at this point you have to be able to play under any circumstances. It wasn't very easy. I think I made a lot of errors because of that. I definitely could have moved my feet better."
Azarenka was in tears at the end but felt there was nothing more she could have done.
The world number two described the determination of both players as rising like boiling water, and she said: "It was a great match.
"There was no let down. I think in the third set the momentum changed a little bit, and I kind of felt like I lost that momentum.
"But she really made it happen. In that particular moment she was tougher. She was more consistent and she deserved to win.
"I wish I could have done something better. I felt like I had opportunities in the first set as well. But it's okay. I did everything I could.
"The game overall, there are things that could have been better. But I gave my heart. I fought as hard as I could.
"So that's what is important for me, that I lost to a great champion. But I'm still going to have my head up."
Tuesday, 27 August 2013
Venus Strong at US Open
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| Getty Images |
Venus Williams had been 14-0 in the first round of the U.S. Open, though she never had to face an opponent ranked in the top 30 at that stage.
Williams was usually the seeded player, but after two years of illness and injury, the seven-time major champ was the one pulling the upset Monday when she defeated Wimbledon semifinalist Kirsten Flipkens.
Her ranking down to No. 60, Williams beat the 12th-seeded Flipkens 6-1, 6-2 for one of her biggest wins since she pulled out of this tournament two years ago because of Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease.
"For me, I stay positive because I know I can play great tennis," Williams said. "Sometimes you just have to go through more than what you want to go through. Sometimes you have to have losses. When I had losses, it always motivates me a lot to do better and to work harder."
The 33-year-old looked strong Monday, fighting off three break points at 2-2 in the second set in a game that went to six deuces.
"If Venus is there -- if she's fit, if she's focused -- she's a top-10 player," Flipkens said. "Everybody who knows a little bit of the game of tennis can see that. Today, she was like a top-10 player."
Bothered by a lower back injury, Williams was playing just her third event since a first-round loss at the French Open. She hadn't defeated a top-20 opponent since last October.
"I realise that I haven't had a lot of chances to play this year or a lot of chances to play healthy this year, have had injuries and what have you," she said. "So I'm just going to have to keep working my way into it maybe more than some of the other players. But I know I can do that."
Flipkens, meanwhile, had been enjoying a career year. The Belgian had never reached the round of 16 at a major tournament before the Australian Open, then made her run at Wimbledon.
Hours after Venus advanced, sister Serena was so dominant in her opener that her opponent really needed a hug.
So midway through the second set of defending champion Williams' 6-0, 6-1 victory,Francesca Schiavone wandered behind the baseline, found a ball boy and enveloped him in a full-fledged embrace.
It was that kind of evening for Schiavone, an often-demonstrative player who is certainly no pushover: She won the 2010 French Open, and was the runner-up at that Grand Slam tournament a year later. She's been ranked as high as No. 4 but is 54th this week.
"I knew playing a former Grand Slam champion in the first round was a really, really tough draw," Williams said, "so I tried to be super serious."
The No. 1-ranked Williams was nearly perfect, making only eight unforced errors, compared with a 13-3 edge in winners, hitting serves faster than 115 mph, and taking the first 10 games.
"It was tough today," said Schiavone, who is working with Peter Lundgren, one of Roger Federer's former coaches. "Really, really tough."
When Schiavone finally got on the board more than 50 minutes into the match, holding serve to win her first game with a volley winner, she swung her right fist in a celebratory roundhouse punch and shouted. Her face then broke into a wide smile while she strutted to the sideline, and she tossed her racket toward her changeover chair.
"It was very, very nice to win a game," Schiavone said. "For the first time in my life, I felt joy from winning a single game."
At Williams' news conference, she was asked by an Italian reporter: "Did you really want to win 6-love, 6-love against the poor Schiavone?"
That drew a chuckle from Williams, who responded: "No, it wasn't that. I was just out there, trying to be focused."
Saturday, 18 June 2011
Westwood Knows he Needs a Miracle
Lee Westwood is not prepared to give up the fight for a first major title just yet, despite slipping 12 shots behind US Open leader Rory McIlroy at the halfway stage.
The English world number two improved from four over to one over with a 68 on Friday, and still considers himself to be in contention at Congressional - if only just.
McIlroy and Westwood are Ryder Cup teammates and share the same management company, but when asked what advice he would offer the younger man, Westwood responded: "I'm supposed to beat him over the next two days. I'm hardly going to give him advice, am I?"
The size of the task, though, can be measured by how Westwood plans to approach the closing 36 holes.
"I'm more looking at YE Yang now (the Korean is second six shots back), trying to catch him. If I'm going to win the tournament then I need Rory to play poorly.
"I might play great and shoot 11 under par and get to 10 (under), but if he shoots level then he wins.
"But when you've got a six-shot lead - I know because I've had a few - everybody gives you the tournament almost."
World number one Luke Donald is three shots further back from Westwood and had to wait until Saturday morning for confirmation that he had made the cut on four over after two rain stoppages on the second day.
Total control
"Rory is very impressive," he said. "It's nice to see a player in total control - it doesn't happen too often."
"If I'm going to win the tournament then I need Rory to play poorly. I might play great and shoot 11 under par and get to 10 (under), but if he shoots level then he wins. But when you've got a six-shot lead - I know because I've had a few - everybody gives you the tournament almost."
Defending champion Graeme McDowell, also McIlroy's fellow Northern Irishman and Ryder Cup partner, is now 13 behind after a closing bogey six for 74.
"When you see what Rory is doing it's tough not to go out there and want to attack and then you get frustrated," he commented.
"Although he is 22 he's a very experienced young man and his experience at Augusta will stand him in good stead here.
"He probably won't get a better US Open lay-out to suits him than this. He's probably one of the best drivers I've ever seen and I wish him all the best.
"We nicknamed him the BMW because he is the 'ultimate driving machine'. He's decimated this course and this is no easy test - it's an amazing display."
Dubliner Padraig Harrington, two over like McDowell, made it plain he does not expect a repeat of McIlroy's 80 in the Masters in April.
"Augusta can always catch up with you. On any of the par fives your rival can make eagle, but there's not holes like that out here.
"Most of the holes if you hit a bad shot you are making bogey. There's not big swing holes."
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