Williams dumped by top-ranked Mauresmo
NEW YORK — Her sentences were clipped, her explanations fuzzy.
This much seemed clear, though, from the way former No. 1 Serena Williams spoke and acted after being beaten by current No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo in the fourth round of the U.S. Open: Williams still cares about her tennis career and still does not take losses lightly.
For all those questions about her health, her preparation, her dedication, Williams sure looked a lot better than a player ranked 91st would have a right to against the top-seeded Mauresmo, who won the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year.
Williams showed some rough edges in the first and last sets — Mauresmo won nine of the final 12 points — but was brilliant in the second set. That wasn't enough, of course, and Mauresmo emerged with a 6-4, 0-6, 6-2 victory Monday night to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals.
So, Serena, what happened in that third set?
"I just got down an early break and, you know, just fell apart after that," she said.
Um, did you beat yourself?
"I have to go back and watch the match," she said. "But I definitely, definitely think I took the loss."
Does Mauresmo seem like a different player to you now that she's won two Slams?
"Um, I don't think she seems like a different player, no," Williams responded.
How do you evaluate your hard-court season?
"I, at best, had a mediocre summer," she said.
Well, perhaps, but it wasn't bad given how much time away she had. Williams came to Flushing Meadows having played only 12 matches all season because of a six-month break she used to rehab her surgically repaired left knee and to refresh herself mentally, too.
During the time off, which included missing the French Open and Wimbledon, Williams tumbled out of the top 100 in the rankings, and she needed a wild-card invitation just to be able to play at the Open. That left her with a seemingly tough draw, but she beat No. 16 Ana Ivanovic and No. 17 Daniela Hantuchova in straight sets en route to her fourth-round showdown with Mauresmo.
To Mauresmo's credit, she hung tough and turned things around after that second set, one in which she managed to hit only one winner. The outcome turned at 3-2 in the final set, when a 35-stroke exchange ended with Williams pushing a backhand into the net, then pausing for air — something Mauresmo noticed.
That sent Mauresmo on her way to a key break, and she wouldn't drop a game the rest of the way. On match point, they engaged in a 24-stroke rally that Mauresmo ended with a sharply angled volley Williams couldn't reach.
"The experience I've got really helped me tonight. It's starting to show a little bit on the court," Mauresmo said.
