In the blink of an eye, Serena Williams turns it around
— -- LONDON -- Serena Williams looked weary. She took small steps, staring at the ground. The racket, held gingerly by the very end of the grip, dangled loosely beside her leg. It looked like she might drop it.
Williams stepped up to the service line and in what seemed the blink of an eye -- bang, crack, bang, bang -- hammered out three aces and one serve that Svetlana Kuznetsova barely touched. It was just the third game of the fourth-round clash Monday at Wimbledon, but by the time Williams won the match 7-5, 6-0 in an hour and 16 minutes, it seemed the world No. 1 of old was back among us.
And it looked like her sister, Venus, is as well. While Serena was scorching the damp Centre Court with aces, Venus was ripping into Carla Suarez Navarro's vulnerable serve over on Court No. 1 en route to a 7-6 (3), 6-4 win. Venus, at age 38, is up to No. 8 in the WTA rankings and in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2010.
"[Venus] knows how to play," Serena reminded the assembled media after her win. "I say this constantly. I feel like she's my best opponent, my toughest opponent."
Venus might also be her real opponent come Saturday afternoon. Venus plays unseeded surprise quarterfinalist Yaroslava Shvedova next, and the winner gets either No. 4 Angelique Kerber or No. 5 Simona Halep.
"She served good," Suarez Navarro said of Venus. "You know, she's there every time. She fight. Sometimes she looks like she was tired, but then she served and returned really good."
Much the same could be said of Serena on this Fourth of July. Any American missing home needed only to peek into Centre Court to witness a spectacular display of fireworks. Williams smoked 14 aces, but her ground game was even more impressive.
Kuznetsova, a free-spirited, two-time Grand Slam champion, is in resurgence again. She's 31, but more dangerous than her No. 14 ranking because of her outstanding mobility and retrieving ability. The score line was deceptive: Despite that spectacular serving display in the third game, Kuznetsova would not cave.
She engaged in spectacular rallies throughout the first set and broke Williams to take a 5-4 lead, then served a poor game to give the break back.
By then, the grass was so greasy that both women feared for their safety. They complained, and the tournament referee ordered the roof closed. The interruption proved to be an unfortunate episode for Kuznetsova, because it allowed Williams to unwind and take a breather. It enabled her to get with her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou. He's her stress-buster.
"Patrick gave me some tips on what I could do," Serena said, "He's very calm. Sometimes I don't understand because I'm really worked up a lot, as you can see. He's just so sangfroid all the time. I think that really helps me. It helps me realize that when I'm calm, I usually can find answers. He's been a wonderful coach to me. He's great at what he does."
When play resumed, Serena hit new heights. She didn't lose another game against one of the most proficient guerilla warfare specialists in the game. Williams' backhands sounded like bones snapping, while forehands flew like tracers. Williams hit 43 winners in just 18 games, 22 from the baseline.
"I moved very well, as well," Williams said. "Especially when I want to. I've been wanting to lately just kind of get out there and pretty much get every ball back. I've been working on my defensive game. I feel like I've got an extremely strong defensive game, and always have throughout my career. I wanted to bring it up to par again the way it was."
Neither of the Williams sisters gets enough credit for her ability to play defense. It's an easy oversight to commit, because the offense of each is so persuasive. But Venus has always had remarkable range around the court, and even now, she's still running down and digging out balls like a 25-year-old.
Ironically, Serena's defensive abilities have been interdicted by her service return. It's still the best in the women's game. Certainly, it's the most aggressive. Serena's biggest problem when it comes to having her defense acknowledged is the quality of her offense. It simply keeps points from developing.
It's a nice problem to have.
