Serena Williams has played four Grand Slam finals since her return from maternity break. Serena Williams had beaten four Top-10 players si...
Serena Williams has played four Grand Slam finals since her return from maternity break.
Serena Williams had beaten four Top-10 players since, including Naomi Osaka at Toronto and Simona Halep at Melbourne, and lost to five top-10 players, including the two Wimbledon finals.
Serena Williams had beaten the then world No 1 Halep in a gritty three-setter at the 2019 Australian Open too.
So what made the Williams vs Halep quarter-final at the 2021 Australian Open so special? Was it the fact that the last time they met was a one-sided Wimbledon final loss for the American? Was it the quality of the world No 2 opponent?
On paper, it looked like straight-sets, seemingly routine 6-3, 6-3 win. On court, it was one of the best matches Williams has played since her return from maternity break in 2018.
The standout aspect was the manner in which the 39-year-old went about her play during the win. It was not all power and pace but a tactical, tough-it-out win. After a long time, she showed her range, resilience and recalibration skills to win a very challenging match-up.
A lot of the talk around the veteran Down Under has been about her improved fitness. Williams’ long-time coach Patrick Mouratoglou put it plainly saying she was moving better...
