FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y. — You had to feel for Victoria Azarenka. She was the recipient of a third-round matchup with streaking Serena Williams, who, due to nearly a year away from the court due to injuries, came into the U.S. Open as the No. 28 seed. It was plain bad luck. But Azarenka never complained about it. Not openly, anyway. And after her 6-1, 7-6(5) loss to the three-time USO champion, the No. 4-seeded Belarusian, gave credit to her more powerful opponent.
“She has a complete package of playing,” said Azarenka. “She has a big serve, which makes her the biggest difference from any other player. It’s her really big weapon that sets her up with a lot of things. But mentally, she’s definitely one of the toughest players out there. She knows how to fight. She really dominated…Serena is a big champion…She has definitely the best serve.”
Azarenka said Williams is playing better than she’s ever seen her play.
“It’s definitely amazing that she’s healthy,” Azarenka added. “I’m really happy for her, that she went through all those suffers [sic], but she came back really strong. It shows that she’s a very strong person. Tennis, I honestly don’t think she can lose it. Winning, what, how many Grand Slams? She can’t lose that, how to hit the ball or whatever. She just really came back strong mentally. I think those suffers also helped her a lot to maybe get a different perspective and seeing tennis in a different way.”
SERENA’S CALM: Her father, Richard Williams, said at one point he thought his daughter was going to die. But Serena said that, despite he health troubles, she never lost hope. “I actually was really calm, because I didn’t want to alert my parents or my family or anything. I got really, really, really calm and just, like, relaxed and really easy. I think that’s the calmest I’ve ever been in my life, just trying to be strong for everyone else.”
BOOKISH BASELINER: Asked if he was nervous about revealing intimate details his new autobiography, the way Andre Agassi was when he released his, Rafael Nadal said, “Is different kind of book. Everybody knows a little bit more my life without the book than Andre’s life without the book.”
SERENA WEIGHS IN ON THE GOAT DEBATE: Is Serena ready to put herself side by side with all-time greats Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova? “I don’t know,” said Williams. “Steffi was such a good player, and I have played her. She did beat me once. I’m not sure if I was at my peak. I thought I played really well, though. I was young. I played Martina, but only in doubles. But I think serve and volley could be a little tricky, especially to have such amazing hands. Even when I played her in doubles, her hands were unbelievable, so I don’t know. I don’t think that’s a fair question because I think each generation is different. Margaret Court was great, and then you had Billie Jean King, who was amazing. But maybe I would beat those two players at my peak.”
IT’S ALL ABOUT EXPERIENCE: Novak Djokovic says that playing well on the big points all comes down to experience: “It comes with time,” said the No. 1-ranked Serb. “It’s not something that you can be born with. It’s not a talent. It’s just knowledge, experience playing many matches, knowing what to do at a certain moment.”
QUICK, CALL THE M.A.S.H. UNIT!: As of Saturday, 14 players had retired from matches at the U.S. Open — an Open Era record. The roll of the wounded read like a war casualty list: Nishikori (lower back), Dancevic (hamstring), Niland (food poisoning), Matosevic (rolled ankle), Sorensen (cramping), Beck (right shloulder), Berdych (right shoulder), Stepanek (right shoulder), Mahut (abdominal muscle), Granollers (abdominal muscle), Doi (cramping), Morita (right shoulder), Hampton (heat illness) and Wickmayer (lower back). “You know what’s scary,” asked ESPN’s Brad Gilbert. “It’s only Saturday. There’s a lot of time left.”
AI ON SS: Ana Ivanovic, who knocked out 18-year-old Sloane Stephens in the third round 6-3, 6-4, said the up-and-coming American has a bright future. “She can be really good,” said the Serb. “She has a big serve. Maybe with a little more variety on it, she can be even more dangerous. She has a big forehand. She’s a fit, strong girl. I think she has a big potential.”
HEADLINES
Roddick Sick of Mac Attacks
THE NUMBERS
17: Minutes it took for Victoria Azarenka to fall behind 5-0 in the first set against Serena Williams. Said the Belarusian, “What’s it like? It’s painful.”
QUOTEBOOK
“I realize that life is so precious and things could be a lot worse. It isn’t all about tennis. It’s about life.” — Serena Williams on her bout with a pulmonary embolism
“The schedule is crazy. It’s crazy now, it was crazy before and it will be crazy next year.” — Rafael Nadal
“I was thinking like a 10-year-old, things that my brother would think, just weird stuff.” — Sloane Stephens on her third-round loss to Ava Ivanovic
“I’m not going to sit here and cry about I had a tough draw. It’s part of the game.” — Victoria Azarenka on drawing 28th-seeded Serena Williams in the third round
“After Grand Slams I think I sleep for three or four days straight because it’s just a lot of stress.” — Andrea Petkovic
“I’d be a hypocrite if I said that he should have been doing different things sooner in his career.” — Mardy Fish on Donald Young
“I’m 29. I don’t wake up in the morning feeling like I’m 20.” — Mardy Fish
