There are no sure things except death and taxes, but Serena Williams basking in triumph is becoming the next best thing. She is turning this U.S. Open into her own personal playground, as she steam rolled Li Na 6-0, 6-3 on Friday to cruise into Sunday’s final, a rematch of last year’s clash with Victoria Azarenka.
Williams had won 24 straight games to go up a set and 1-0 in the second. By the time Li finally snapped Williams’ streak with a serve and volley, the match was all but over. Li followed with a break, only the second Williams had suffered in this tournament, but it hardly mattered.
“It was a good match,” Williams said. “Li Na is such a good player. It was tough at the end. I got a little nervous but I was able to close it out, finally.
“I don’t know [why], I’ve just really focused on all my practices. I’ve just tried to play really hard out here, hear the ‘Go Serena! Go Serena!’ It’s really a pleasure, it’s really cool.’’
Despite being down love-40 and facing Li’s serve, Williams stormed back to break. The 31-year-old was so focused and dogged, she played a nearly 14-minute game up 5-2 in which Li saved six match points, yet Williams played as if it meant just as much to her. Such is her concentration level this season.
Her booming serve was better yesterday, her forehand was more reliable and in the end her game was quite simply better. No, check that; Make it the best.
“I should not be nervous, because [it’s] not the first time [in the] semis,” Li said, “but when I walked to the court I was feeling, ‘It [is] so big. Even my side, I was feeling like [it was a] football court. I cannot focus. I have to find out [why].’’
Williams hasn’t lost a single set and dropped just 15 games in six matches. And after a first-round loss at last year’s French Open — her only opening-round exit at a major — Williams teamed up with coach Patrick Mouratoglou and has played the best tennis of her life since then.
All Williams has done since teaming up with Mouratoglou was winning Wimbledon, Olympic, U.S. Open and French Open titles. And now she’s a win away from a 17th Grand Slam crown and pulling within a major of tying Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. She’ll get that chance Sunday against Azarenka.
“We always have really good matches and I look forward to it,” said Williams, who is 12-3 all-time vs. Azarenka, but has lost two of her last three. “It’s great to just get to another final. She lifts her game when it really counts and I think that’s what makes the difference.’’
“We have to really careful not to be overconfident, especially before playing Victoria,” Mouratoglou said. “She always plays her best tennis in the big matches against the best players like Serena.
“Serena knows Victoria is dangerous and will have to play her best tennis to beat her. She moves well and dictates every shot she hits. She feels she can beat Serena. She’s really a champion.’’
The 24-year-old Belarusian defeated Williams in an impressive three-set match in Cincinnati that went to a third-set tiebreaker.
“You’ve got to fight, you’ve got to run, you’ve got to grind, and you’ve got to bite with your teeth for whatever opportunity you have,” Azarenka said. “She’s obviously an amazing player, the greatest of all time.
“When you play against Serena you have to play your best. She makes me play my best. I think I do the same to her. We kind of raise each other’s level all the time, take each other to the limit.’’