*Serena Williams has given birth to a healthy, 6lb,13oz baby girl. She went into labor during Labor Day weekend, during the US Open, as Venus Williams was preparing to take to Ashe to play her third round match against Maria Sakkari (GRE). Its her style to do everything big and this was no different.
“I’m so thrilled,” said Auntie Venus during her pre-match interview, without veering to much from her focus on the match at hand.
It was apparent, though, that she couldn’t help but wander a little, knowing Serena’s co-Grand Slam winning (she was pregnant during her Australian Open win) daughter was born and her whole family was likely gathered around to welcome her into the world. She did get the job done, but there were a few uncharacteristic hiccups that crept into her game after she handily won the first set.
She broke Sakkari’s serve early in the second, to take it 6-3, but she veered off course by double faulting a whole game away to give the break right back and foot faulting enough times to make you think she was gonna go all “Serena” at some point. She finally steadied the ship by pulling out her myriad of big weapons and finally won, 6-3, 6-4.
Her next opponent is Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP).
Venus also advanced to the fourth round with company … Sloane Stephens, who’s on a roll after returning from foot surgery. Sloane soundly took down Ashleigh Barty (AUS) on Friday, 6-2, 6-4 inside Armstrong Stadium and to a very supportive home crowd. She matched her US Open best – reaching round 4 back in 2013 – with the win. She meets up with Julia Goerges (GER), next, and if she passes that test, she’ll be on course to face the resurgent Maria Sharapova, who she’s beaten before, at their last meeting (2013 Cincinnati Open).
Madison Keys is also still in the running and she’ll play her third round match on Saturday against Elena Vesnina (RUS). She handled her 2nd round business on Thursday night, taking down Tatijana Maria (GER) in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.
It’s not far fetched to believe each of these women have a chance to go all the way, but that’s gotten us into trouble before (Serena Slam 2015). So, we’ll let time tell.
But beyond Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens, and Madison Keys, as predicted, the USA diversity train has made a couple stops and let more folk off.
Sachia Vickery handed her second round match to her compatriot, Sofia Kenin, on a silver platter. She was up a break in the third set, twice … even serving for the match, but her attitude beset her. She allowed a foot fault and a botched swing volley to take her into meltdown mode, precipitating a loss in the final tiebreaker, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7(0).
Donald Young always does well at the US Open and he held his own this year, but the uber-talented Gael Monfils (FRA) took him out, as expected. Young hung around for five sets, but gave up the ghost by dropping serve at 5-all and losing at 3-6, 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-2, 5-7. This 2017 run wasn’t his US Open personal best, but he gets an asterisks based on who his 2nd round opponent was.
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