She’s on a quest to win her 24th grand slam title!
In the iconic, and crowd less, Arthur Ashe Stadium, Serena Williams became the first athlete to win 100 matches in the stadium as she sealed her fourth-round victory Labor Day. She is now headed to her 53rd Grand Slam tournament.
"I just kept fighting. She was doing so well, she was being so aggressive, and I knew I needed to do the same thing," Williams said in a postgame interview.
The 38-year-old No. 3 seed who’s seeking her 24th Grand Slam win, competed against Greek tennis player Maria Sakkari, beating her 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 at Flushing Meadows.
An incredible comeback from an incredible champion.@serenawilliams rallies from a break down in the third set to advance to the quarterfinals! #USOpen pic.twitter.com/w5jM9YuSTl
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 7, 2020
The rematch from their warmup 13 days ago at the Western & Southern Open, which Williams lost, was a thrilling one. The 15th-seeded Sakkari who was seeking to become the first Greek woman to reach the major quarterfinal gave Williams a good fight hitting more aces, 13-12, and more total winners, 35-30, than Williams.
"Of course I thought about [the loss], but ever so little, because it's a completely different match, completely different scenario, completely different moment," Williams said.
Williams will face either Tsvetana Pironkova, who she’s bested 4-0, or Alize Cornet, who has won three of their seven games, in the last eight.
Congratulations Serena! We love seeing you out there!
Photo Courtesy of Darren Carroll/USTA