Serena Williams Overcomes Early Struggles To Advance At Australian Open, Remains Alive For 24th Major

Serena Williams managed to stay alive to win an ugly first set and then rolled in the second during her latest Grand Slam victory.

After leaving the court for several minutes before her third-round match with 19-year-old Anastasia Potapova of Russia at the Australian Open, No. 10 Williams struggled with her footwork and her forehand in the first set, while looking sluggish.

But she rebounded to earn a 7-6 (5), 6-2 victory to advance to the fourth round where she will face No. 7 Aryna Sabalenka.

“It definitely feels good to be in the fourth round,” Williams said on-court. “It felt good to get through that match. I felt like I came out a little bit, not off to the starting blocks like I would’ve wanted to and like I have been since I’ve been playing here. It’s about surviving and playing better every round.”

Williams, 39, remains in the mix to win her record-tying 24th Grand Slam title, and has said that 43-year-old Tom Brady winning his seventh Super Bowl last Sunday was “super inspiring.”

“Oh yes, I think she definitely wants to break the record and if she doesn’t Billie Jean King will make sure that she tries to break the record and Martina [Navratilova],” ESPN’s Pam Shriver said on air. “They want to see Serena Williams sit atop the women’s tally.”

King and Navratilova, both strong advocates for gay rights and human rights in general, have not been shy in their criticisms of Margaret Court, the current record-holder with 24 majors.

Court, for whom one of the main show courts at the Australian Open is named, has a history of homophobic comments and King, John McEnroe and others have said her name should be removed from the Australian Open show court.

“There’s only one thing longer than the list of Margaret Court’s tennis achievements: it’s her list of offensive and homophobic statements,” McEnroe said last year at this event.

“Just a few examples. During the apartheid regime in South Africa, she said: ‘I love South Africa. They have the racial situation better organized than anyone else’. What?

“About transgender children and LGBTIQ: ‘It’s all the work of the devil… tennis is full of lesbians… it is sad for children to be exposed to homosexuality’.

“Serena, do me a favor: get two more Grand Slams this year and get to 25, so we can leave Margaret Court and her offensive views in the past, where they both belong.”

Williams still has a ways to go but she remains alive for No. 24.

“It’s not enough, I still want to win more,” she said, per EuroSport.” I want that title to be solidified in concrete.”

Despite making 19 unforced errors while hitting just five winners, she won the first set in a tiebreak.

In the second, she raced out to a 4-1 lead before Potapova left the court to treat an injury. When she returned, Williams made quick work of her opponent.

Due to a Covid-19 outbreak, the Victorian government announced a five-day statewide lockdown beginning at 11:59 p.m. Friday and running through 11:59 p.m. Wednesday.

No fans will be permitted at Melbourne Park during this time, while players will have to go directly to their hotels after matches.