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ATHENS ORACLE

The official student news site of Athens Drive High School

ATHENS ORACLE

The official student news site of Athens Drive High School

ATHENS ORACLE

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Serena Williams captures fifth U.S. Open title

At the fourth and final Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year, the US Open, Serena Williams was the final American left in the women’s singles draw after four rounds of play. She then won her next three matches and the championship to claim her fifth trophy overall at the US Tennis Association (USTA) Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York Sept. 8.

Philippe Garay, sophomore, and tennis follower, spoke about his reaction to Williams winning the US Open.

“Serena definitely deserves it,” said Garay. “It’s great for her and for American tennis.”

In the US Open final, Williams defeated Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, 7-5, 6-7, 6-1, in a clash between No. 1 and No. 2 in the world. The marathon match lasted two hours and 45 minutes, almost three times as long as William’s semifinal match against Li Na.

The win gives Williams, who is turning 32 this month, her 17th Grand Slam title, the sixth most of all time. Williams is tied with Chrissie Evert for the most US Open titles. She also won the US Open in 1999, 2002, 2008 and 2012. For winning this year, Williams received a check of $3.6 million, making her the first female athlete to surpass $50 million in prize money.

In her press conference after the championship match, Williams was asked about her mentality during the tournament.

“I was so focused these two and a half weeks,” said Williams. “I was really just trying to stay in the zone and stay in the spirit the whole time.”

Williams looked to be closing in on a straight set win after winning the first set and going up 4-1 in the second set. Despite Williams closing in on the championship, Azarenka fought back. On two occasions, when she was up 5-4 and 6-5, Williams had an opportunity to close out the match on her own serve.

Williams faltered, sending the second set into a tiebreak.

“I got a little uptight,” said Williams. “I wasn’t playing very smart tennis then, so I just needed to relax and not [lose my serve] again. But I did it again, and I don’t know why.”

Taking the momentum back, Williams dominated the third set 6-1. After Azarenka’s last return went long, Williams jumped for joy towards the net as the two athletes embraced each other.

“Serena didn’t let her emotions get in her way today,” said Garay. “It was a great match and she was able to pull through to the end.”

Early in the match, Williams struggled with the swirling wind inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. Frustrated and struggling to keep the ball in the court, Williams hit six unforced errors to trail 2-1 in the first set. Williams was later down 4-5 in the first set and was as close as two points from losing it. She quickly rallied from her shaky play, taking the final three games to win the opener.

“The wind was unbelievable today. It just got worse and worse. It never let up,” said Williams in her press conference after the match. “At this point, you have to be able to play under any circumstances.”

Along with playing singles at the US Open, Williams played in the women’s doubles event with her sister, Venus. The pair has won 13 doubles Grand Slams together. This year, they were stopped short in the semifinals by the Czech team and eventual champions, Lucie Hradecka and Andrea Hlavackova.

“Serena’s legacy will inspire so many other players around the world,” said Garay. “Now that she’s in her 30’s, people consider her to be old, but she’s still the best.”

Despite her age, Williams plans to continue playing tennis as long as she can. Her goal is to play at least until the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. William’s triumph at the US Open adds another chapter to her legacy on American sports.

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