It was another case of deja vu for Serena Williams as once again her dreams got crushed in the semifinals of the US Open.
This year it was at the hands of the inform Karolina Pliskova, who hit 7 aces and 19 winners to issue a double blow to the 34-year-old. Apart from missing out on the final, Williams has also lost her place as world No.1 after holding the position for 186 consecutive weeks. It was a bitterly disappointing outcome for the below-par Williams, who produced 31 unforced errors against the Czech.
“I don’t think much really went well today. I made a lot of errors and I didn’t play as well as I have been playing.” She said on Thursday night.
Numerous theories about Williams’ lacklustre performance started almost immediately after her loss. One suggestion was that the 22-time grand slam champion was suffering from the effects of her match from the day before, where she defeats Simona Halep in three sets. It was a suggestion that was met with a fierce response from the American.
“I wasn’t tired from yesterday’s match. I’m a professional player; been playing for over 20 years.” She swiftly responded when asked if fatigue contributed to her downfall.
“If I can’t turn around after 24 hours and play again, then I shouldn’t be on tour. So I definitely wasn’t tired from yesterday’s match at all.”
Speaking about her struggles on the court, Williams has revealed that she has been troubled by a left knee problem since the first week of the tournament. It is an injury that is all too familiar with the former world No.1. At the start of the year Williams was forced to withdraw from the Hopman Cup due to inflammation in the knee.
“I have been having some serious left knee problems. I wasn’t tired. Fatigue had absolutely nothing to do with it. If I was tired I should definitely get into a new career.” She stated.
Williams’ coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, has expressed concerns about her knee in the past. During an interview with French media last November, he revealed that a big part of Williams’ knee cartilage has gone due to playing. He said that the focus of the American is to not play too many tournaments in order to protect the health of her knee.
It was this time last year when Williams decided to end her season early in order to focus on her ‘health issues’. There is currently no signs that this will happen once again as she nurses her problematic knee. Regardless of her own personal woes, the 34-year-old is refusing to take the limelight away from Pliskova, who will now play in her maiden grand slam final against Angelique Kerber on Saturday.
“I’m not downplaying anything. Karolina played great. I think if she had played any less, then maybe I would have had a chance.” Williams said.
“I think I wasn’t at 100%, but I also think she played well. She deserved to win today.”
According to her current schedule, Williams is set to return to action in less than three weeks time at the Wuhan Open in China.
