On an evening of ascendency, Serena Williams survived a second-set stumble and produced prolonged elevation powered by pure elation. Completing her latest career revival in stirring style, a resurgent Williams transformed the largest Grand Slam stage in the world into her own tennis trampoline tonight.
Recalling the resilience that made her a US champion for the first time nine years ago, Williams bounced back from a 3-5 second-set deficit, fought off four set points and rallied to win four straight games to close a 6-4, 7-5 victory over second-seeded Jelena Jankovic and capture her third career US Open championship.
"I'm so excited. I can't even describe it," Williams said. "Usually after a Grand Slam I feel like I have another match to play, but I don't really feel that way today. I feel like it's done and it's all over and I'm so excited."
Blistering a backhand winner crosscourt on her second match point to conclude the longest US Open women’s final in 14 years, Williams watched the ball land then tossed her Wilson racquet high into the night sky and leaped up and down on her toes repeatedly in an eruption of exuberance after capturing her ninth career Grand Slam crown.
"This is cool because I'm at No. 9, I'm pushing the door closer to double digits, which I obviously want to get to," Williams said. "This is cool because I feel like my game has gotten a lot better and I've improved. Each (major) is so special."
Serena soared on match point, embraced father Richard, who burst out onto the court from his second-row seat behind the photographer's pit and hip hopped her way into history: reclaiming the US Open championship she last won six years ago, Williams will regain the World No. 1 when the new WTA Tour rankings are released tomorrow. She last ruled the tennis world on August 10th, 2003 and her rise back to the top after five years, one month, marks the longest-ever gap between stints at No. 1.
"I am so excited; I wasn’t even going for No. 1 — it’s an added bonus," said Williams, who collected the champion’s check of $1.5 million. "I’m really excited."
It was the ninth Grand Slam final since the inception of the computer rankings in 1975 to feature two women playing for the top spot in the rankings.
Before a crowd of more than 23,000 that included sister Venus Williams, rapper and actor Common, Serena’s boyfriend, Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson, comedian Will Ferrell and former World No. 1 players Jennifer Capriati and Martina Navratilova, the pair produced some electrifying exchanges in a two hour, three minute encounter that concluded at 11:28 p.m.
A smile seemingly perpetually-plastered across her face, Jankovic often took time out to watch replays of the most entertaining points on the video screen at the top of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"I keep watching because you go to serve and see your big face up there," Jankovic said. "You cannot help it to look up."
Breaking for a 2-1 first-set advantage, Jankovic jumped out to a 40-0 lead and was poised to consolidate, but Williams put the hammer down with a mammoth forehand swing volley winner followed by a flurry of forehands that forced an error to break back for 2-all.
A double fault deep gave Williams a break point in the sixth game. Waiting with her racquet in ready position Williams whipped a forehand winner down the line to break for 4-2. Anticipating the direction of Jankovic’s pass before she struck it, Williams was waiting to knock off a forehand volley and stretch her lead to 5-2. The fourth-seeded Williams served for the set at 5-3, but a double fault followed by an ill-advised drop shot that did not sink and a Jankovic angled backand pass provided the smiling Serbian wit three break points. Williams sliced a backhand into the net to give back the break.
Creating a sharp crosscourt angle with a running forehand, Williams reached 0-30 in the next game and coaxed a Jankovic error to earn three set points. Jankovic’s forehand landed a foot long and Williams walked to her courtside seat with the first set in hand after 47 minutes.
Skidding into sliding splits as if she was auditioning for a position with Radio City's Rockettes as well as competing for her first Grand Slam title, Jankovic played some superb defense in storming back from a 2-3, 15-40 second-set deficit to wear Williams down. Jankovic broke for a 4-3 lead when a weary Williams dumped a drop shot into the net and consolidated for a 5-3 advantage.
Breathing deeply between points, Williams slice a forehand that strayed wide and found herself facing three set points in the 10th game.
In a clash of contrasting styles that pitted Jankovic's flexible, acrobatic defensive prowess against Williams' athletic aggression, Williams' willingness to relentlessly raise the risk level proved to be the difference in the match: she punished some shots on pivotal points and followed down the line drives to net on others. Stringing together a backhand winner, a service winner and a backhand error from Jankovic, Williams erased the three set points then held for 4-5 when Jankovic's backhand floated deep.
The first-time finalist served for the set and showed some grit in saving five break points before slicing a 91 mph ace to gain her fourth set point. At that point, Williams' legs looked heavy, she wasn't getting low to the ball on her forehand side and the match seemed destine for a third set. But an increasingly tight Jankovic could not capitalize. She floated a double fault deep and was on her heels when Williams produced a drop volley winner for a sixth break point. The ensuing 21-shot exchange — one of the longest of the match — ended with Williams drawing Jankovic to net with another drop shot before blasting a forehand pass to break back for 5-all.
"It was not really tension," Jankovic said. "We had some low points and I got tired. I didn't use enough of my legs or I didn't accelerate enough with my arms. I made all these double faults especially at the wrong times when I should have made those balls and started the point. I gave her a lot of gifts when it was crucial. But what can I do? These things happen and I'm disappointed, of course, about that, but there's nothing I can do now. I have a lot of chances, so many set points, so many things to win that second set...I let opportunities go away. I was really frustrated out there, but I cannot turn back time. I wish I could, but it's too late."
With the second set hanging in the balance, Williams played bigger, bolder tennis when it mattered most as Jankovic found herself trying to produce a level of tennis that eluded her.
"No matter what you have done right, it was not good enough, especially against Serena" Jankovic said. "You know that you have to be at the top of your level because just in general she's a lot more powerful than many of the players. She has all the strength. She's a great athlete. So if you want to really beat her you have to be even higher than a little level above your best, you know, because you cannot do it with her. So I really tried everything that I had on this certain day and unfortunately it was not enough."
Questions surrounding Serena's commitment have swirled about in the 20-month drought between her last Grand Slam title at the 2007 Australian Open and this one.
Williams' will to win once she's actually on court has seldom been in doubt; it is her ability to remain fit, focused and interested enough in tennis play for sustained stretches that has been questioned. There is the perception she treats tennis as a pit-stop en route to a different career track and her habit of withdrawing from tournament after tournament did little to alter that perception.
The fact is, even when she was at her peak, Williams seldom played an extensive schedule. The designing diva who dominated tennis in winning five of the six Grand Slam tournaments she entered from 2002-2003, entered only 20 tournaments in that two-year span of superiority. Granted, her 2003 season was cut short by surgery she underwent on her left knee on August 1, 2003, but Williams has never played more than 13 tournaments in a single season and she reached that mark just once: in 2002 when she registered a career-best 56-5 record.
But based on the effort and exuberance she exuded throughout this fortnight, a re-energized Serena looks like a woman still striving to reach her peak play.
"Like I said the other day, I feel like I'm going to be No. 1 again, win lots of Grand Slams; it doesn't stop here," Williams said. "I feel like I have a new career, like I feel so young and I feel so energized to play every week and play every tournament. I feel like there's just so much that I can do in my career yet and I've never felt like I've played my best tennis."
