Sport
Serena Williams overcomes slow start to make Australian Open’s fourth round
Williams became the only player with 90 victories at 3 Majors.
AFP | Serena Williams overcame an error-strewn start on Friday to thwart Anastasia Potapova and ensure her bid for history at the Australian Open continued.
The 23-time Grand Slam had 31 unforced errors but wore down the Russian 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 in 97 minutes on Rod Laver Arena to set up a 4th-round showdown with 7th seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.
“Definitely good to be in the 4th round,” the American veteran said. “I came out of the blocks not like I have been before. But it is all about surviving and playing better every round.”
The 10th seed had been in strong form so far in Melbourne as she chases Margaret Court’s record 24 Grand Slam tally, but was out of sorts in an error-strewn start to fall down a break. But Potapova, 19, had a meltdown trying to serve out the first set with 5 double faults squandering the golden opportunity.
A refocused Williams then lifted her intensity and won a tiebreak before cruising through the second set.
Williams, the 7-time Australian Open champion, will on Sunday play Sabalenka, who thrashed American Ann Li 6-3, 6-1, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.
Also advancing were Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei, who beat Sara Errani of Italy 6-4, 2-6, 7-5, and 14th seed Garbine Muguruza, who beat Kazakh Zarina Diyas 6-1, 6-1.
In the men’s draw, Spanish 15th seed Pablo Carreno-Busta retired in the second set while trailing 6-1, 1-0, allowing Bulgarian 18th seed Grigor Dimitrov to advance.
