Liguori: If Serena Is On Her Game, She May Easily Make History At US Open
By Ann Liguori
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NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Serena Williams will begin her historic quest for Grand Slam glory on Monday night with her first-round match at the US Open.
During the next two weeks, the 33-year-old will try to add the greatest achievement in tennis to her legendary career -- winning all four majors in one calendar year -- a feat which has only been accomplished by five players: Steffi Graf in 1988, Rod Laver, in 1962 and 1969, Margaret Court in 1970, Maureen Connolly in 1953 and Don Budge in 1938.
Serena is hoping to win her fourth consecutive Open, matching Chris Evert's run from 1975-78, and seventh overall. In the event she does, Williams will have 22 career grand slam titles, which would tie Graf for second all-time behind Court (24).
Serena will begin her run at history against a Russian named Vitalia Diatchenko, who is ranked 86th in the world. There is one less obstacle in Williams' path now that Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from the tournament with a nagging leg injury. The two could have met in the semifinals.
Williams has lost only lost twice this year, most recently to 18-year-old Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in the semifinals of the Rogers Cup in Toronto in mid-August. Bencic could face Williams in the quarterfinals in this championship. Petra Kvitova beat Williams in Madrid this past May. Kvitova, seeded No. 5 at the Open, and No. 2 seed Simona Halep are in the bottom half of the draw.
Age is all relative to Williams, who has won eight majors since turning 30, the most by any woman in the Open era. Since connecting with coach Patrick Mouratoglou following her first-round ouster at the 2012 French Open, Serena's winning percentage is .933, including 28 WTA titles.
When Williams is healthy she is head and shoulders above any other player. Her powerful serve and ground strokes prove too much for most. She has worked on her speed and quickness and few have her will to win.
Serena has been ranked No. 1 for 255 weeks leading into this tournament and she has more than twice as many ranking points as world No. 2 Halep.
So it goes without saying Williams has come a long way since the days of learning the game from her father, Richard, on public courts in Compton, California.
This US Open is Serena's Open. And the player who John McEnroe calls the "greatest female player who ever lived" deserves all the accolades.
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