US Open players give Serena's mental game top marks

NEW YORK -- Even with her powerful serve and formidable physical gifts, Serena Williams is getting the most praise from fellow US Open players for her mental toughness and confidence when facing adversity.

World number one Williams is trying to complete the first calendar Grand Slam since Steffi Graf in 1988 by winning the US Open for a 22nd Slam singles crown to match Graf's Open Era record, two shy of Australian Margaret Court's all-time record.

"She's just a beast," said American Donald Young, who won Saturday to reach the fourth round.

"I think she turns it on whenever she wants to. It's tough. It's a lot of pressure. The way she's handling it is like a true champion."

Williams struggled early in her past two matches, even dropping the first set against Bethanie Mattek-Sands before rallying to win the last eight games and advance to Sunday's fourth-round meeting with US 19th seed Madison Keys.

"Serena is inspiration for everyone who is on the tour, for sure. She's kind of big champion," said Czech fifth seed Petra Kvitova.

"We know how big a fighter she is. We need to be fighters in the tennis world as well. People playing her, they really know that if they win a set it's not the end. She always lifts her level higher."

Williams has been pushed to three sets 10 times in 24 Slam matches this year and won them all, eight of them after she dropped the first set.

"I have nothing but admiration for her," Young said. "She's just an awesome player. She can come back. She has done it so many times in her career. She has been there. Once you know what it feels like, you can repeat it."

- No playing down the Slam -

Three-time defending champion Williams, who holds all four major titles, has tried to downplay the calendar Slam and pump up the "Serena Slam" four in a row already done.

But the buzz of fans, sellout crowds for her matches and talk around Arthur Ashe Stadium says more about how the tennis world regards what Williams is on the verge of achieving.

"I guess in her mind she's trying to play it down," said Aussie Samantha Stosur, who beat Williams in the 2011 US Open final -- Serena's most recent loss on the New York hardcourts.

"It's amazing regardless, whether it stays the way it is or whether she gets the calendar Slam and makes it five in a row. Either way, everybody else has got to admire. I mean, if I was in that position, I'd probably try and play it down too and not think of it as such a huge deal and want it playing on my mind all the time."

Self belief and confidence is a major part of Serena's game, said Canada's Eugenie Bouchard.

"She just has that belief. She knows she's so good," Bouchard said.

"She just fights and finds a way. Even the greatest player of all times loses sets or is down in a match. It just shows all of us we have to fight for every point no matter what. Even if you are the greatest of all time, people are not just going to give it to you."

- 'Freaking amazing' Slam -

British qualifier Johanna Konta, a fourth-round surprise packet, would enjoy seeing Williams lift the trophy next weekend to finish the calendar Slam -- and she's a big Graf fan.

"That would be freaking amazing," Konta said. "I admire Steffi Graf because that's who I grew up watching, but I admire Serena Williams, because, I mean, who doesn't admire Serena Williams?

"I'd love for her to achieve that. I don't know really of anyone who wouldn't. It's an incredible achievement and one that I can only kind of watch and admire."

US 13th seed John Isner, into the last 16 with a Saturday win, said Williams has created her own great expectations.

"Most important thing is staying positive out there and just believing. That's what we've seen from Serena," Isner said. "It's pretty incredible. She has done it so much that we've come to expect it. That's what makes her a great champion."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Serena, Djokovic, Nadal reach US Open third round

NEW YORK -- World number one Serena Williams shook off a woeful start Wednesday to advance her quest for tennis history while Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal joined her in the third round of the US Open.

Williams, trying to complete the first calendar Grand Slam singles sweep since Steffi Graf in 1988, defeated 110th-ranked Dutch qualifier Kiki Bertens 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 at Arthur Ashe Stadium despite 34 unforced errors and 10 double faults.

"I just kept fighting for each point, not for a lot but just one at a time," Williams said.

"I had been pretty relaxed. Today I was a little tight. I think it showed. Hopefully I can get back to where I was before."

The 33-year-old American, trying to match Graf's Open Era record of 22 career Slam singles titles and win an Open Era-record seventh US Open crown, improved to 50-2 on the year with her 30th Slam match win in a row and sustained her march toward history.

Spanish eighth seed Nadal, a 14-time Grand Slam champion, ousted Argentina's Diego Schwartzman 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 7-5, for his 750th career tour-level match triumph while top-ranked Djokovic stayed on a last-eight collision course with Nadal by dispatching Austrian Andreas Haider-Maurer 6-4, 6-1, 6-2.

The reigning Australian Open and Wimbledon champion, whose only US Open title came in 2011, won 14 of the final 17 games.

"From that 4-all moment, I played really well," Djokovic said.

Three-time defending champion Williams completed her second "Serena Slam" of four major wins in a row by winning the Wimbledon crown in July, becoming the oldest Slam winner.

Williams broke back to level at 5-5 in the first set but double faulted four times in the 11th game before holding, then fell behind 4-0 in the tie-break before rallying largely on Bertens' unforced errors.

"It definitely doesn't worry me, being down a lot," Williams said. "I know I can make a comeback, make a run for it."

But her form was so shocking that Williams ran to the practice courts to work on serves after the match.

Next up for Williams will be fellow American Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who beat compatriot CoCo Vandeweghe 6-2, 6-1.

"I'll have to play a little better if I want to win," Williams said.

- Nadal 'lucky' to advance -

Nadal was down 5-4 in the first set tie-breaker before battling back against Schwartzman.

"Happy to be through," Nadal said. "Was a tough battle. I feel lucky to be through.... To take that first set was very important to me."

Nadal, the 2010 and 2013 US Open champion, improved to 22-1 in his past 23 US Open matches after missing 2012 and 2014 due to injury and finishing as the 2011 runner-up.

Canadian 10th seed Milos Raonic, who could meet Nadal in the fourth round, fired 18 aces in dispatching Spain's Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/1).

Defending champion Marin Cilic and seventh seed David Ferrer neared a fourth-round meeting as well.

Croatian ninth seed Cilic fired 19 aces in defeating 139th-ranked Russian qualifier Evgeny Donskoy 6-2, 6-3, 7-5.

"It's sort of unreal. I was working all my life to win a Grand Slam and now I'm working to defend one," Cilic said.

Spain's Ferrer, the 2013 French Open runner-up who missed the past 2 1/2 months with an elbow injury, downed 102nd-ranked Serb Filip Krajinovic 7-5, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4).

"I'm very happy I'm in the third round," said Ferrer. "It's a nice comeback playing on these courts."

- Venus, Bencic meet next -

Serena Williams could reach a Grand Slam singles final without facing a top-10 rival for the first time in her career, but her quarter-final foe could be 35-year-old sister Venus or Swiss 18-year-old Belinda Bencic, who inflicted Serena's most recent defeat.

Bencic, the highest seed remaining in Williams' half of the draw at 12th, saved three match points in the second set and outlasted Japan's 88th-ranked Misaki Doi 5-7, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.

"I'm just happy I could turn it around," she said.

Bencic, who defeated Serena Williams in the Toronto semi-finals last month, next plays Venus after the elder Williams eliminated fellow American Irina Falconi 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-2.

"She played really well in the tie-breaker," Venus Williams said. "In the third set I had a lot more clarity."

Australian Open semi-finalist Madison Keys ripped 100th-ranked Czech Tereza Smitkova 6-1, 6-2. The American 19th seed hopes for a fourth-round date with Serena Williams, who ousted her in Australia.

"Fingers crossed it could happen. If it does happen I could come out and have some fun at my home Slam," Keys said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

U.S. Open leading men cheering for a Serena Grand Slam

NEW YORK - Serena Williams is on the brink of the grandest achievement in tennis, the single season Grand Slam, and even the leading men at the U.S. Open championships starting on Monday are cheering her on.

The 33-year-old American, with the 2015 Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon trophies already on her crowded mantle, will be gunning to complete the first season's sweep of the slams since Steffi Graf in 1988.

The last man to accomplish the feat was Rod Laver in 1969.

"I am sending her good vibes, I hope she does it," says U.S. Open men's top seed Novak Djokovic, winner of nine majors.

"She's a true champion and she's impressive what she's managed to do so far at her age to win three grand slams. It's quite incredible. I know how tough it is, both men's and women's tennis. The competition is really high."

Victory at Flushing Meadows would lift Williams to 22 career grand slam singles crowns, tying her with Graf for second on the all-time list, two behind Margaret Court.

"I hope she does it, number one," said second seed Roger Federer, who stands atop the men's all-time slams list with 17.

"Number two, of course it's intriguing and interesting to see. You don't get this kind of an opportunity many times in tennis, so it will be very interesting to follow."

Rafa Nadal, a 14-times grand slam singles winner, was also absorbed by the historical bid by Williams, who has won the last three titles at Flushing Meadows and would register an Open era record seventh U.S. crown with another triumph.

"She won everything that somebody can win. Amazing the career of Serena," said Nadal. "She has a unique opportunity to make the Grand Slam in one year and she's playing at home so it's a big opportunity for her.

"She knows how to manage all of this. She knows how to play in this tournament. She has won here many times."

Williams would become the sixth player to register a Grand Slam following Don Budge (1938) and Laver (1962, 1969) on the men's side and Maureen Connolly (1953), Court (1970) and Graf (1988).

"If she makes that happen it will be something special for the world of sport," Spain's Nadal said.

All three of these leading men have come close to the feat.

Federer won three of the four slams in 2004, 2006 and 2007, falling short all three years in the French Open, losing in the '06 and '07 finals to nine-times Roland Garros winner Nadal.

Nadal won three in 2010, missing only the Australian Open, while Djokovic won a trio in 2011, lacking the French title.

None of them came to Flushing Meadows with a chance to complete the slam.

Djokovic was asked if he thought he might be capable of a Grand Slam.

"I sincerely hope from your mouth to God's ears," the 28-year-old Serb said. "I've been close and that gives me enough reason to believe that I can achieve that."

(Editing by Andrew Both)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com