Seemingly everybody from Las Vegas bookmakers to Serena Williams’ vanquished victims to the fans who crowded three-deep yesterday to watch her practice are proclaiming her an unbeatable favorite to win the U.S. Open. Everybody, that is, except Williams herself.
Tenth-seeded Sara Errani is the latest to take her shot at Williams, whose aura has dominated tennis this summer, from her titles to her talk to her Crip Walk. But despite oddsmakers installing Williams as a 2/5 favorite, she’s the only person not ready to say she will dominate this Open.
“Everybody has a chance. I don’t even think about that,’’ Williams said, walking from the practice court to Arthur Ashe Stadium’s Presidents Gate yesterday. Having not dropped a single set in this year’s Open — including winning 23 straight games at one point — she has been playing at another level than the rest of the field.
“I don’t know, I’m just here,’’ said Williams, insisting it hasn’t been as easy as she’s made it look. “Nothing is easy, let me tell you that.’’
After running off 23 straight games against Ekaterina Makarova, Andrea Hlavackova and Ana Ivanovic, the latter acknowledged she would be “very surprised” if Williams’ serve and athleticism didn’t win out. But in a scary thought for her opposition, Williams said she’s just starting to bear down.
“I’m going to get more focused and serious, and start playing Serena tennis in the next couple of rounds, if I get to play two rounds. That’s my goal,’’ Williams said. “I didn’t think I came into this tournament playing my best, but I definitely played better in the last two matches. I hope I have two matches left, and give 200 percent.’’
Williams is 3-0 against the smaller and less athletic Italian Errani, who said this week she will stop working with Dr. Luis Garcia del Moral, a former member of Lance Armstrong’s medical staff, after he received a lifetime ban by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
Maria Sharapova faces No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in today’s other semifinal (not before 1:45 p.m., CBS) that will precede the Williams-Errani match.
Azarenka has won four of her last six meetings with Sharapova, one of those two losses coming when she was forced to retire last year in Rome, and one of the four victories a 6-3, 6-0 rout in this year’s Australian Open final. But the tough-minded Sharapova beat her 6-1, 6-4 in Stuttgart, Germany, and has been in better form.
“It’s always tough to lose in that final stage of a Grand Slam,” Sharapova said. “Last time we played [was] Stuttgart where I beat her, but before that she got me a couple of times.”