Serena Survives US Open Scare But Advances to 4th Round in Quest for Grand Slam

Serena Williams withstood a major scare against fellow American Bethanie Mattek-Sands but survived and advanced in her quest for a calendar Grand Slam.

After dropping the first set to the 30-year-old Mattek-Sands, Williams rebounded for a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 victory in a third-round match before a capacity crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Williams let loose a scream after hitting a forehand overhead smash on her third match point.

“I’m not trying to live on the edge,” she said on court of losing a set for the 10th time this year in a major. “Playing players, they come out really strong. I don’t think I came out too slow today, I just think Bethanie came out really well and I had to do things, and I had to adapt to her game.”

When your splits game is on fleek and you know it. pic.twitter.com/4l2426AKDM

— WTA Reactions (@WTAreactions) September 5, 2015

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Serena has now won 24 straight US Open matches and and 31 consecutive Grand Slam tournament matches. She is seeking to become the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1988 to win the Grand Slam.

Serena’s last loss at the Open came in the 2011 final to Sam Stosur.

Next up she will face another American in No. 19 Madison Keys, who dispatched No. 15 Aga Radwanska, 6-3, 6-2. Keys had been 0-4 against Radwanska coming in.

Looming in the quarterfinals for Serena could be a matchup with her old sister, Venus, who earlier in the day took out hard-hitting youngster Belinda Bencic, 6-3, 6-4.

“I only have one match and that’s the one I’m looking forward to, is the next one,” Williams said of the matchup with Keys, whom she beat in the Australian Open semifinals. “Obviously I just want to improve my all-around game. More than anything, have fun. Enjoy this crowd, which is great. That’s all I can do.”

Mattek-Sands was off the tour for six months in 2014 after having left hip surgery. Before that she was sidelined with three other major injuries over the years.

But she brought a fighter’s spirit into the night match.

Mattek-Sands served for the first set at 5-3 but got down 15-40 to face two break points.

But she fought her way back and seized the first set.

“She’s a great player,” Williams said of Mattek-Sands. “She’s fought so many difficult injuries and she’s someone every time I play, I respect her a lot and I know to expect a great game. And I admire for all that she’s been through. She’s a great person and it was a good match for her today as well.”

Still, Williams appeared to be in the driver’s seat. She is now 12-1 this year after losing the first set, even if she hadn’t won a match at the Open after dropping the first set since 2001.

Told by ESPN’s Pam Shriver that 10 players had won a set against Serena at a Slam this year, Adam Altschuler, Mattek-Sands’ coach said,  “Bethanie will be the first to win two.”

But Serena found her groove in the second set.

After breaking Mattek-Sands to go up 5-3 in the second set, Serena let out a huge “Come on” to the crowd in Ashe.

But Mattek-Sands immediately broke back to make it 4-5, hitting a deep service return to Serena’s forehand that Williams hit into the net.

Serena earned the break to take the second set 7-5 when Mattek-Sands sailed a tough backhand deep.

Serena had struggled with her serve in her previous match Wednesday against Kiki Bertens, and hit the practice courts for more than an hour after that match to work on it.

“It definitely felt better,” Serena said of her serve. “It’s not where I want it, but it’s getting better. I hope to be in this tournament still for a little bit so hopefully it can continue to get better.”

“I don’t dislike the way she plays, just not efficient on the big points,” Serena’s coach Patrick Mouratoglou said on ESPN after the second set. “The more that match goes, the better she is.”

He added: “I’m not satisfied yet, she can do better.”

In the third set, she did.

And now Serena is just four victories from the Grand Slam.

“This journey has been great and every night I come out and play,” she said, “it feels better and better.”