Serena Williams Favored to Win US Open, Calendar Grand Slam - Mondays with Bob Greene

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Petra Kvitova beat Lucie Safarova 6-7 (6) 6-2 6-2 to win the Connecticut Open in New Haven, Connecticut, USA

Kevin Anderson beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4 7-5 to win the Winston-Salem Open in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA

SAYING

“Unfortunately I will not be able to compete in this (year’s US) Open. I have done everything possible to be ready but it was just not enough time.” – Maria Sharapova announcing her withdrawal from the year’s final Grand Slam tournament.

“I feel terrible, but doesn’t matter. I will have a day off. It was very tiring.” – Petra Kvitova, after winning in New Haven two days before the start of the US Open.

“I’m ready. I’m so ready. I’m ready to get it over with I don’t care if I win or lose or break even. I’m ready to start it, get it over with, and be done and go on to the next event.” – Serena Williams, when questioned about winning a calendar Grand Slam.

“Each final is a different situation, and for some reason it just hadn’t happened for me. Someone has to win and someone has to lose.” – Kevin Anderson, after winning his first tournament in his third final this year.

“I came here to play some matches, but I didn’t expect to play that much. I’m really happy since it’s the best result of my career. There are no regrets because I think I played a good final, but (Anderson) was better and more experienced today.” – Pierre-Hugues Herbert, a qualifier who played nine matches and reached the final at Winston-Salem before losing to Kevin Anderson.

“I think that’s safe to say. It’s just a huge bonus for her to be in this position this way. Being back here where she has made so many great memories will make it a great story.” – Maria Sharapova, when asked if Serena Williams had a good chance at winning the US Open and completing a calendar Grand Slam.

“If I’m not in the final, then I want her to win. If I’m in the final with her, then I want to win.” – Simona Halep, on Serena Williams winning the US Open and a career Grand Slam.

SITTING IT OUT

Citing a right leg injury, third-seeded Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from this year’s US Open the day before the fourth and final Grand Slam tournament of the year began. The Russian, ranked third in the world, has not played since losing to Serena Williams 6-2 6-4 in the semifinals at Wimbledon in July. If form had held, Sharapova was drawn to play the top-seeded Williams in the semifinals on the hard courts at Flushing Meadows. It is the third time in eight years – and second in three years – that Sharapova has sat out the US Open with injuries. The 28-year-old Russian withdrew from hard-court tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati in August, citing a right leg strain. “To all my amazing fans, I will be back in the Asian swing in a few weeks and look forward to finishing the year healthy and strong,” Sharapova said on her Facebook page. Sharapova’s spot in the draw was taken by another Russian, 18-year-old Daria Kasatkina, a lucky loser who is ranked 133^rd in the world.

STRONG SERVING

In an all-Czech battle between left-handers, Petra Kvitova rode her serve to victory. The two-time Wimbledon champion faced only one break point and was never broken as she beat Lucie Safarova 6-7 (6) 6-2 6-2. Kvitova has won all seven of her career matches against Safarova. It was Kvitova’s 17^th WTA title and her third in New Haven, where she has never lost a match, capturing the crown also in 2012 and 2014. It also is the only tournament she has won three times. “This is also the first time I’ve defended a title, so of course I’m happy about it,” Kvitova said. “It definitely helps with my confidence going to the US Open. I’m looking forward to my next match.” Both players held serve in the opening set before Kvitova was able to apply the pressure, especially with her big serve. “She’s a big hitter,” Safarova said of Kvitova. “She’s putting a lot of pressure on you, serving really big. She was just going for it today, striking it well.”

SUPREME PRESSURE

Serena Williams is ranked number one in the world and is a big favorite to win her 22^nd career Grand Slam tournament title, tying her with Steffi Graf. She’s also favored to become the first player since Graf in 1988 to win all four major crowns in the same year, a calendar Grand Slam. So pressure should be something that comes with the job, right? Wrong. Admitting she is feeling the pressure, she says it’s something she can deal with. “I decided I prefer to have that pressure than the pressure of not winning,” Williams said. “Not everyone can handle that pressure, but I’m OK with it. I would rather be in this position than another one.” The 33-year-old American won her first Grand Slam tournament title at the US Open in 1999, when she was 17. She has won six Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open titles each and three French Open crowns. Not since Graf won the 1989 Australian Open has a woman won five Grand Slam tournaments in a row. Serena is going after her fourth consecutive US Open victory, having not lost since the final in 2011 against Australian Samantha Stosur. “If I am playing well then hopefully no one (else) will win, but we’ll see,” Williams said. “It’s all up to me. If I decide to play right, it’ll be great.”

SERENA FAVORITE

Although she is staying home with an injured leg, Maria Sharapova says the other players must step up their challenge against Serena Williams. “She has been playing on an incredible level,” Sharapova admitted about Williams. “That doesn’t take anything away from other players. We have to step up, me and other players. We have to perform better.” Sharapova has lost 18 of her 20 matches against Williams, but one of her victories came at the 2004 Wimbledon final. Sharapova last beat the top-ranked American at the 2004 WTA Tour Championship final. “If we didn’t feel we could (beat her), I wouldn’t personally be able to go on the court and play,” Sharapova said. “Everyone takes any match they are facing very seriously in a Grand Slam environment.”

SOUTH AFRICAN WINS

South Africa’s Kevin Anderson finally won a title, breaking a long drought when reaching the final of tournaments. Anderson stopped Pierre-Hugues Herbert to capture the Winston-Salem Open. It was Anderson’s first title in three finals this year, finishing as runner-up at both Memphis, Tennessee, USA, and Queen’s Club in London. “I’ve been in a few finals and come up short, which is always tough,” Anderson said. “Maybe it’s a bit of an added pressure to be the favorite coming into the final, but (Herbert) has been playing great to get here. In my mind we were completely even before the match.” Until Winston-Salem, Anderson had lost seven consecutive ATP World Tour finals, dating back to Sydney 2013. The South African right-hander is now 3-8 in career finals.

SAYS NOT TRUE

Rafael Nadal denied that he refused to play an exhibition doubles match with Australian. Nick Kyrgios. The Spanish star played Australian veteran Lleyton Hewitt in an exhibition in New York, while Kyrgios participated in a doubles match as part of the show. “I always thought I had to play against Lleyton,” Nadal said. “Nobody ever asked me to play doubles with Nick.” Instead, the host of the charity event, John McEnroe, played alongside Kyrgios against Pat McEnroe and Jonas Bjorkman. Kygrios drew the ire of a number of tennis players, including Nadal, after he made inappropriate remarks to Stan Wawrinka during a match. Kygrios was fined and given a suspended suspension by the ATP World Tour over the remarks, which were picked up by an on-court microphone.

SUCCESS

Dominic Inglot and Robert Lindstedt saved the best for last. “It was the best match we’ve played all tournament and the best match we’ve played in our partnership,” Lindstedt said after he and Inglot captured their first team title at the Winston-Salem Open. “It just clicked. Most of the things we’ve talked about fell into place.” After becoming partners, Inglot and Lindstedt suffered first-round losses in Hamburg and Kitzbuhel. In Winston-Salem, they won four matches while dropping just owned set. Inglot improves to 4-7 in career ATP World Tour finals, while Lindstedt is now 19-21. “The conditions here really suited us,” Inglot said. “Rob suggested that we go play Atlanta on hard court, but I convinced him to stay on clay, which proved to be not such a good decision. So this proves that if I listen to Rob, good things happen.”

SHARED PERFORMANCES

New Haven: Julia Goerges and Lucie Hradecka beat Chuang Chia-Jung and Liang Chen 6-3 6-1

Winston-Salem: Dominic Inglot and Robert Lindstedt beat Eric Butorac and Scott Lipsky 6-2 6-4

SURFING

New York: www.usopen.org/

Genova: www.atpgenova.com/

Biarritz: www.tournoi.fft.fr/openbogdfsuez

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