By Chris Oddo | Wednesday September 2, 2015
Serena Williams overcame ten double-faults to move past Kiki Bertens in straight sets on Day 3.
Photo Source: Matthew Stockman/Getty
The trademark fight never wavered, but the serve did. Serena Williams tossed in an uncharacteristic ten double-faults in her 7-6(5), 6-3 win over Kiki Bertens on Wednesday to claim her 30th consecutive Grand Slam win and move five victories from her fifth consecutive major and the coveted Calendar Slam.
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"Today I was a little tight,” Williams admitted after the match. “I think it showed. But hopefully I can get back to where I was before."
Whether the cause be a lingering elbow issue or nerves, Williams has struggled on serve since Toronto. She tossed in 12 double-faults in a quarterfinal loss to Belinda Bencic in there (her second loss of 2015), and she struggled in Cincinnati as well, tossing in seven or more double-faults in all matches but the final.
Williams credited the issues to a lack of rhythm due to the fact that she had an elbow injury earlier in the summer and therefore was allowed limited practice time to properly groove the world-class shot. She tried to remedy that on Wednesday when she made waves across the grounds by heading to the practice court immediately after dispatching Bertens to work on her serve. As of 6:30 P.M., Williams was still out there working.
Thankfully for the 21-time major champion, she’s tremendous in so many ways that a malfunctioning second-serve hasn’t done much to curtail her positive momentum in New York. Though Bertens played an extremely aggressive first set and had a chance to serve for the opener with a 5-4 lead. Williams would break and despite four double-faults in the next game, she held to put the pressure back on the World No. 110.
Bertens held and then moved ahead 4-0 in the first-set breaker before Williams rallied in typical form, closing the opener when a lucky net cord forced the error from bertens.
In the second set Bertens was able to break on Williams' tenth double-fault for 2-all, but it was the last time she would be even with the American in the match.
She double-faulted on a Williams’ break point in the next game and never drew even again.
Williams would finish Bertens in one hour and 32 minutes, before a very subdued handshake and post-match celebration.
Though the victory marks Williams’ 30th straight Grand Slam win and 23rd in a row at the US Open, the American clearly has a lot on her mind as she prepares for her third-round match with Bethanie Mattek-Sands. Williams owns a 2-0 head-to-head record against her compatriot, but they have not met since 2008.
“She has a very aggressive game,” said Williams. “I wasn’t surprised with her win today. I don’t think it’s going to be easy at all. I have to play a little better if I want to win.”