Reason No. 3 to watch the U.S. Open
Posted by Ravi Ubha, ESPN.com
Editor's note: On Aug. 17, Ravi Ubha began unveiling the top 10 reasons to watch the 2009 U.S. Open. Check back each weekday until Aug. 28 as we count down to No. 1.
No. 3: Serena's progress
Serena Williams loves Twitter.
Here's some of what she said (tweeted?) after exiting 7-6 (2), 6-1 to the tenacious Elena Dementieva in the Rogers Cup semis in Toronto on Saturday.
"I'm a deadbeat. And a loser," she began. She later added, "I'm thinking about asking someone to punch me in the face for losing."
Well, odds are Williams won't be so downcast Sept. 12, the day of the women's final. The best big-game player in women's tennis is the overwhelming favorite to repeat as U.S. Open champ -- 7/4 at British bookmaker Ladbrokes, with sister Venus second -- claim a fourth major in her past five tries and get to 12 Grand Slam titles, thus tying pioneer Billie Jean King. In short, she's almost the female equivalent of Roger Federer. (Mind you, Federer seems pretty motivated each time he plays, unlike Williams.)
There's a smidgeon of hope, however, for the rest of the field. She's been darn close to being upset earlier than expected at Melbourne and London.
Victoria Azarenka was on the way to victory in the fourth round Down Under when a heat-induced illness struck, and Svetlana Kuznetsova stuck with the script and choked a round later, unable to serve out the affair. At Wimbledon, we all know Williams saved a match point to thwart Dementieva in the semifinals. Going back to last year, Venus wasted 10 set points against her little sis in the U.S. Open quarters.
Who really thinks they can beat Williams at Flushing Meadows? Probably not world No. 1 Dinara Safina or Kuznetsova, the 2004 winner. Kuznetsova got lucky on the clay at Roland Garros, Williams' least-productive surface (and where the aura is at a minimum).
Dementieva, Venus, Azarenka and the slightly rejuvenated Jelena Jankovic might be the chosen few. Even then, they'd need Williams to toss in a few unforced errors, much like the 60 Venus delivered in an ugly second-round loss to Ukrainian qualifier Kateryna Bondarenko in Toronto.
It probably needs to happen in the first week and a half, too. Williams is unbeaten in her past eight Grand Slam semifinals and dropped one set from the semifinals onward in triumphing at the 2008 U.S. Open, 2009 Australian Open and 2009 Wimbledon.
Even Federer would be impressed.
