AFP, Paris :
Serena Williams’ dream of winning all four Grand Slam titles in the same year is still alive despite her looking all but out on her feet in Thursday’s French Open semi-finals.
Playing on the hottest day of the tournament so far, the 33-year-old American superstar struggled badly with her physical condition throughout a 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 win over Swiss surprise Timea Bacsinszky.
Walking slowly between points and looking thoroughly miserable, it was the fourth time in this tournament that she has had to battle back from the loss of the first set.
But her fighting spirit came through in the end and now only Lucie Safarova, the Czech 13th seed, stands between her and reaching the halfway stage of a calendar-year Grand Slam previously achieved by only three other women-Maureen Connolly, Margaret Court and most-recently Steffi Graf in 1988.
It would also leave her with 20 Grand Slam titles, just two shy of Graf’s Open-era record of 24.
Safarova, at 28, reached her first Grand Slam final after 12 years of trying, following her run into the Wimbledon semis last year.
She defeated the 2008 Roland Garros winner Ana Ivanovic 7-5, 7-5 in a nervy, mistake-ridden encounter which preceded the Williams match.
A late blossomer, whose nice-girl reputation belies a steely determination, Safarova would be best advised not to look too closely at the record books as she has a dismal 0-8 losing record against the top seed and two-time former champion in Paris.
It is a prospect apparently which does not trouble the Brno-born player.
Talking before the Williams match ended she said.
“I mean Serena is number one in the world, great player. So whoever will be there, I will just go there and play my game and obviously try and get the trophy.”
In her favour might be exactly what condition Williams will be in when they both get to Saturday afternoon’s final.
Coughing and spluttering she was forced to abandon her courtside interview immediately after clinching the win over Bacsinszky after saying just a few words.
Serena Williams’ dream of winning all four Grand Slam titles in the same year is still alive despite her looking all but out on her feet in Thursday’s French Open semi-finals.
Playing on the hottest day of the tournament so far, the 33-year-old American superstar struggled badly with her physical condition throughout a 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 win over Swiss surprise Timea Bacsinszky.
Walking slowly between points and looking thoroughly miserable, it was the fourth time in this tournament that she has had to battle back from the loss of the first set.
But her fighting spirit came through in the end and now only Lucie Safarova, the Czech 13th seed, stands between her and reaching the halfway stage of a calendar-year Grand Slam previously achieved by only three other women-Maureen Connolly, Margaret Court and most-recently Steffi Graf in 1988.
It would also leave her with 20 Grand Slam titles, just two shy of Graf’s Open-era record of 24.
Safarova, at 28, reached her first Grand Slam final after 12 years of trying, following her run into the Wimbledon semis last year.
She defeated the 2008 Roland Garros winner Ana Ivanovic 7-5, 7-5 in a nervy, mistake-ridden encounter which preceded the Williams match.
A late blossomer, whose nice-girl reputation belies a steely determination, Safarova would be best advised not to look too closely at the record books as she has a dismal 0-8 losing record against the top seed and two-time former champion in Paris.
It is a prospect apparently which does not trouble the Brno-born player.
Talking before the Williams match ended she said.
“I mean Serena is number one in the world, great player. So whoever will be there, I will just go there and play my game and obviously try and get the trophy.”
In her favour might be exactly what condition Williams will be in when they both get to Saturday afternoon’s final.
Coughing and spluttering she was forced to abandon her courtside interview immediately after clinching the win over Bacsinszky after saying just a few words.
