The Hindu : Sport : Serena Williams's will to win sees her through

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Wednesday, Jan 24, 2007
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Serena Williams's will to win sees her through

Nirmal Shekar

The resurgent Roddick and a slightly off-colour Federer to keep up their semifinal date

SHOWING HEART: The most impressive thing about Serena Williams at the Australian Open this year is her competitiveness. — PHOTO: AP

Melbourne: Like Bob Marley's much-celebrated Redemption Song, Serena Williams's fascinating and improbably successful fairy tale run in the Australian Open tennis championship bespeaks of life-enhancing emancipation, of the courage and the willingness to throw away the mental fetters and live life on one's own terms.

The Williams sisters have always taken great pride in the fact that they approached life and sport differently from most other professional athletes.

Like Ole Blue Eyes — Frank Sinatra — they have always believed in doing things their way.

In quest of what Serena calls "a well-rounded life," she has turned her attention to other things — acting, designing clothes — coming back to tennis as an itinerant sailor might go back home on shore leave.

All this is fine, so long as the expectations are reasonable, reasonably low. But, now it looks like Serena — who rallied past the Israeli teenager Shahar Peer 3-6, 6-2, 8-6, on Tuesday, to make her way to her first Grand Slam semifinal in two years — wants to win the whole thing.

Ah, the cheek of it all! This is a story with layers and layers of meaning; peel away one, and there is another, then yet another.

Incredible story

At the simplest level, it is once again a celebration of the rare attributes that turn Serena into such a wonderful competitor on a Grand Slam stage.

Coming into the tournament after having played just four events last year because of a knee injury — and perhaps, too, because of a general loss of interest in the game — Serena, world ranked 81, is now within two match victories of an eighth Grand Slam title.

While her power, athleticism and shot-making skills can never be under-rated — nor perhaps her desire when she really wants something — it has been obvious to everyone watching here that the former World No.1 is nowhere as fit as she was in her prime.

Serena has huffed and puffed for the most part. Rummaging deep into memory, she has come up with great shots when she most needed them. Yet, it is only her indomitable will as a competitor that has seen her past three successive seeded opponents.

As heart-warming as the Serena story may appear, from one point of view, from another, it will again raise questions about the depth in the women's game.

After another wobbly start, Serena won four games in a row from 2-2 in the second to tie the match before opening up a 4-1 lead in the third.

A fighter

Peer, aged 19, and playing in only her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, showed tremendous fighting qualities as she climbed back to 4-4 and then held her own through the tense climactic phase, once coming within two points of winning the match. Finally, under pressure, Peer volleyed long to give the American a matchopoint and it was all over soon for the Israeli after a seesaw battle that lasted two hours and 34 minutes.

"It was a hard-fought match. I wasn't playing my best tennis, but I love to compete," said Serena, who will play another teenager, Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic, in the semifinals.

Who writes your scripts? Serena was asked at the post-match press conference.

"I am a good writer, so I usually do all the writing," said the 2005 champion. "There are always different turns in scripts. You never know. I am just happy to be playing again. I am happy to go to India in a couple of weeks, keep playing these tournaments. Most of all I am happy I won't be ranked No.81 anymore."

Vaidisova, aged 17, and a semifinalist at the French Open last year, got past her countrywoman Lucie Safarova 6-1, 6-4.

Unstoppable

In the men's championship, the impressive, ever-improving Andy Roddick, seeded six, outplayed his good friend and countryman Mardy Fish 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 in just 87 minutes.

It was an awesome display of attacking tennis from Roddick who made just four unforced errors in the match and won 92 per cent of his first serve points.

"Today I played pretty flawless, I thought," said Roddick. "I did everything pretty well." Roddick will play (who else?) HRH Roger Federer in the next round for a place in the final.

"The gap has been either closing a little or he (Federer) has not been extending it," said Roddick. "I am looking forward to the opportunity."

So is the great man, who was a little upset today. Federer had reason to be.

After all, he lost serve a couple of times in his match against Tommy Robredo of Spain. Serving for the second set in the 10th game, the world champion hit a volley long on setpoint and then, leading 2-0 in the third, he gave the advantage back in the third game.

What is more, the No.1 seed's backhand was often misbehaving. Mr. Perfect, he wasn't today but Federer was still good enough for a 6-3, 7-6(2), 7-5 victory over Robredo to make the semifinals. He has not lost a set in five matches here.

India's Rupesh Roy and his Australian partner Stephen Donald defeated the Aussie duo of Jared Easton and Bernard Tomic to advance to the boys' doubles quarterfinals.

After conceding the first set, sixth seeds Roy and Donald fought back to win the second round match 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

In the quarterfinals, the Indo-Aussie pair will meet top seeds Roman Jebavy of Czech Republic and Martin Klizan of Slovakia.

IMPORTANT RESULTS

Prefix denotes seeding Quarterfinals: Men: 6-Andy Roddick (USA) bt Mardy Fish (USA) 6-2, 6-2, 6-2; 1-Roger Federer (Sui) bt 7-Tommy Robredo Esp) 6-3, 7-6(2), 7-5.

Women: Serena Williams (USA) bt 16-Shahar Peer (Isr) 3-6, 6-2, 8-6; 10-Nicole Vaidisova (Cze) bt Lucie Safarova 6-1, 6-4.

Boys' doubles (Second round): 6-Rupesh Roy (Ind) & Stephen Donald (Aus) bt Jared Easton (Aus) & Bernard Tomic (Aus) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

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