It wasn’t a perfect match, but the end result was all that mattered to Venus Williams during her 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, win over Carla Suarez Navarro.
Sunday’s early evening showdown in New York was like a tale of two halves. Williams’ power raked in the benefits as she dictated the Spaniard round the court. Then in other moments, she failed to produce consistency in her game, allowing a player of Suarez Navarro’s calibre to easily claw her way back into the match. It was an encounter full of pressure and the 37-year-old relished the task.
“Billie Jean King puts it the best, ‘pressure is a privilege.’ I needed a challenge, I love the pressure.” Williams said during her on-court interview. “Especially this is the last major (of the season) and it’s at home. There is no better feeling than the energy inside Ashe (stadium) when you guys (the crowd) go wild.”
The fourth round clash occurred on the 29th birthday of the Spaniard, but there wasn’t much for her to celebrate at the start of the match. 37-year-old Williams enforced her dominance from the onset by racing to a 2-0 lead. It was the beginning of what turned out to be a roller coaster encounter. Suarez Navarro managed to fight back to draw level at 3-3, before Williams hit back harder with a double break. Clinching the opening set with the help of an error from her rival.
As the buzz around the Arthur Ashe stadium began to gain momentum, American fans was soon silenced. A series of forehand and backhand winners from Suarez Navarro’s racket illustrated why she has been ranked as high as 6th in the world. Williams appeared lost during the second set, hitting a total of 14 unforced errors and failing to give the crowd something to cheer about. As a consequence, her Spanish rival took proceedings into a decider with little resistance.
With a place in the quarter-finals on the line, it was experience that prevailed. This year is the 20th anniversary of Williams’ US Open appearance. Prior to the final grand slam of the season, she had already won 257 grand slam matches. Compared to her opponents tally of just 33 matches.
The mid-match blip failed to derail Williams. Instead, she bounced back stronger in a similar fashion to her previous match in the tournament. Suarez Navarro became frazzled after Williams once again found the power with deep hitting shots. Cruising towards a place in her 12th US Open quarter-final, the ninth seed won 26 out of 38 points played in the final set. Clinching victory with a low forehand volley at the net.
Another record
Williams has now become only the second female player to win 75 matches at the US Open in the Open Era. The first is her sister Serena, who currently has 89 victories under her belt. This year the five-time grand slam champion is currently 19-3 in grand slam tournaments.
Asked about what the key to longevity on the tour is, Williams replied with a comprehensive list.
“You gotta have health, you gotta have fitness, you gotta have skill, you gotta have desire, you gotta have the love. All of that stuff.” She said.
Seeking her first major title since 2008, there is only one key area the American is concentrating on. This is her aggressive play during matches.
“For me, I’m focused on myself and trying to be as aggressive as possible.” She stated. “No one ever gives you a slam, you gotta take it. I know that and I’m going to try to take it.“
Williams will play either Garbine Muguruza or Petra Kvitova in the next round.
