Serena Williams’ bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title is gaining momentum after she breezed into the third round of the Australian Open.
The former world No.1 required exactly 70 minutes to dismiss Serbia’s Nina Stojanović 6-3, 6-0, on the Rod Laver Arena. Hitting twice more winners than unforced errors (27-11), Williams dropped just four points behind her first serve throughout the match. The latest victory means she has dropped only five games in her first two matches at Melbourne Park after crushing Laura Siegemund 6-1, 6-1 in the first round.
Despite the one-sided victories, the 39-year-old admits that sometimes she continues to struggle with the mental side of her game.
“I’m still just trying to find that balance,” she told reporters on Wednesday. “Even with my serve, I overthink it. It’s just like, I’m not hitting it. But when I don’t think about it and I’m just like, whatever, it goes in. But that’s clearly not the way to do it. It’s really about a balance.”
Heading into the Grand Slam there had been concerns over Williams’ health after she pulled out of a lead-up tournament due to soreness in her shoulder last weekend. Since then, she has reassured that the issue isn’t substantial but she has made some adjustments to her post-match routines. However, there is also another ‘weird’ issue the American has to contend with.
Prior to her second round match, one journalist saw Williams using a ‘medicine ball’ on her right foot and she didn’t put her trainer on until the last-minute. Raising questions about if it is yet another injury issue troubling the world No.11. However, Williams revealed that she deals with a foot issue where its size is affected by the climate.
“I have this really weird thing where my right foot swells in the heat,” she said.
“If I’m in the cold, it shrinks and then once it starts swelling and it hurts. I take my shoe off, so hopefully it wouldn’t swell so much because I also tape it and I’m basically wearing a cast on both of my feet. So just trying to help it not swell right now because I need to not be late as I always am for every match.”
Williams didn’t reveal how long she has been dealing with her foot problem and if she has sought a medical explanation for why it is happening. Although she has dismissed the possibility of it having any significant impact on her campaign in Melbourne.
“Sometimes it does (hurt). Sometimes I have to get it re-taped or sometimes last minute I’ll just cut some holes in it (the cast). It’s just something that my foot does. It’s really weird, so I always try to keep it warm so it doesn’t overly swell,” Williams explained.
Physical ailments aside, Williams has set up a clash with Russia’s Anastasia Potapova in the third round in what will be a case of deja vu. She also defeated Potapova at the Australian Open last year but in the first round.
