Serena Williams has an incredibly tough draw at the US Open and that might be to her advantage
Aaron Doster/USA Today Sports
But if Williams is going to make history over the next two weeks she is going to have to do it against what could be a very difficult draw. And yet, there is some feeling that this is exactly what she needs.
ESPN analyst Patrick McEnroe explained the difficulty of the draw, noting on ESPN Radio, that "all of the other real good American players, including her sister Venus by the way, are in her quarter of the draw."
Here are potential matchups for Williams in her quarter of the draw:
- Third Round - 29th-ranked Sloane Stephens, who has the potential to be a top-20 player and who once trashed Serena in an interview that led to a falling out between the pair. Stephens nearly beat Williams at the French Open this year and did beat her at the 2013 Australian Open. Williams could also face CoCo Vandeweghe who faces Stephens in the first round and who reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon earlier this year.
- Fourth Round - 20-year-old Madison Keyes, ranked 19th in the world, who reached the semifinals at the Australian Open earlier this year and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.
- Quarterfinals - Older sister Venus Williams who has had a bit of a resurgence at the grand slams this year. Venus has twice reached at least the fourth round, the first time she has made it past the third round of a grand slam since 2011. Another potential quarterfinal matchup is No. 12 Belinda Bencic, one of only two players to beat Serena this year.
In some ways, Serena's draw got even tougher when potential semifinal opponent Maria Sharapova withdrew from the US Open. Despite being ranked No. 3 in the world, Sharapova has been utterly dominated by Williams in recent years and Serena would have been a heavy favorite.
But all of this may be just what Williams needs. Despite her dominance on the court, Williams has struggled at times this year. Whether it was her health or a lack of focus, Williams has not cruised through the slams.
In 21 matches at the first three grand slams of the year, Williams needed three sets to win in ten of those matches, including five 3-set matches at the French Open.
"In a way I think [the tough draw] is going to help her," McEnroe said. "It is going to make her very tuned in and very aware. Because really, the only player that can probably beat Serena is Serena."
Still even with the tough draw, history suggests Williams still has a huge advantage in the tournament with a combined career record of 31-3 against the highest-seeded potential opponent in each round.
ESPN
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