Serena eyes spot in last 16
Serena Williams seems to be making history almost every time she
steps on the tennis court as she speeds toward the second week of the US
Open in search of a seventh title.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion takes on Sweden's Johanna Larsson in
search of a place in the round of 16 on Saturday, and a 307th Grand Slam
match win would lift her past Martina Navratilova for the most in the
Open Era.
"Sometimes I don't even know that I'm hitting these milestones,"
Williams said. "But some of them I'm really proud of. This one's kind of
cool."
Williams, who can move past the Open Era record she shares with
Steffi Graf if she goes all the way to a 23rd Grand Slam title in New
York, said the major match-win mark was on her radar at Wimbledon.
"Obviously I'm excited about that," she said. "I would like to take
one more step, several more steps.?
Williams is the star attraction every day she plays at Flushing
Meadows.
She's scheduled for her first afternoon outing on Arthur Ashe Stadium
after headlining the night session in her first- and second-round
matches.
World number two Andy Murray, vying to become just the fourth man to
reach all four Grand Slam finals in a calendar year, takes on Italian
journeyman Paolo Lorenzi.
Lorenzi won his first ATP title at the age of 34 in Kitzbuehel in
July. He's in uncharted waters as his two victories so far this week
equal his total prior wins at majors over his past 13 years as a pro.
Women's sixth seed Venus Williams, whose seven Grand Slam titles
include US Open crowns in 2000 and 2001, opens the night session on Ashe
against 26th-seeded Laura Siegemund in the first meeting between the
two.
Australian Nick Kyrgios takes his flashy game to the big stage of
Ashe against Ukrainian Illya Marchenko in another first-time meeting.
Women's fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska goes up against Frenchwoman
Caroline Garcia as she tries again to advance in the only Grand Slam in
which she's never reached the quarter-finals.
- AFP
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