Eighth seed Serena Williams has said she is concerned about potential changes in air quality levels during the Australian Open due to her medical history.
The 23-time grand slam got off to a perfect start at Melbourne Park on Monday by thrashing Russian world No.90 Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-3, in under an hour. The dominant performance saw Williams hit 24 winners to 16 unforced errors as she broke her rival five times in total. Three times in the first set and twice in the second. The only issue for Williams was her second serve where she could win only nine out of 20 points.
“I felt like I started out really well. Played really strong in the first set, and just building on that.” Williams said during her press conference.
“I feel like I can still improve and get better throughout this tournament, for sure. This is a good steppingstone for right now.”
This year’s tournament is taking place in the midst of the ongoing bushfire crisis causing havoc in the region. One of the issues affecting Melbourne Park is the smoke that has travelled to the city, which affected players during the qualifying tournament last week. At its worst the Air Quality Index rated Melbourne as ‘hazardous.’
Fortunately for players such as Williams, the conditions were considerably better on Monday. Partly helped by the rain disrupting play on the outdoor courts. However, there are fears that the haze could return to the tournament depending on the wind.
“I definitely was concerned, and am. I think it changes every day.” Said Williams.
“There are a lot of factors on how it can change. That is still a concern for, I think, pretty much everyone.”
The 38-year-old has previously suffered from pulmonary embolisms. Following the birth of her daughter Olympia, the former world Nol.1 complained about being short of breath. A scan later found that she had several blood clots in her lungs. Previous medical studies have found a link between air pollution and a rise in the chances of suffering from blood clots in the lungs.
“It definitely crossed my mind. I’m, like, Oh, no, I’m already playing a little down than most people.” The world No.10 replied when asked if she was worried.
“But we’ll see. I just have to focus on what happens and we’ll see what happens.”
For the first time this year Tennis Australia has introduced a five-level Air Quality Index to follow on a daily basis. The move came after the grand slam was criticised last week for allowing qualifying to take place in the conditions. However, tournament director Craig Tiley insists that players were never put at risk.
“Air quality is a very complex and confusing issue which relates to a number of different factors,” said Tiley.
“There are number of different air quality measures and it is made more complex by going on an app. There are different apps and websites which give you different readings.
“This is about trusting the medical advice and trusting the expertise and scientific advice of the people who analyse this every day.
“The safety, the wellbeing and the health of the players is the priority for us, as with our staff and our fans.”
Williams will play Tamara Zidanšek in the second round on Wednesday.
