Tuesday, July 3, 2007
She beat Daniela Hantuchova with the help of a timely rain delay.
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Serena Williams collapsed with a strained calf, screamed in pain and buried her face in the grass behind the baseline, her bid for a third Wimbledon title in jeopardy.
Nearly three hours later, following a timely rain delay, she hobbled gallantly into the quarterfinals by beating Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 6-7 (2), 6-2.
“I’ve never dealt with such pain,” Williams said. “I can’t believe I won, really.”
When the rain came Monday, Williams was a set up but trailing 4-2 in the second-set tiebreaker. She limped off the court without bothering to fetch her tennis bag.
“I couldn’t move before the rain,” she said. “I was definitely saved by the rain.”
Two hour delay helped
Following a delay of nearly two hours, Williams returned to the court with both legs taped, wearing sweat pants to keep warm in the cool conditions. She lost the first five points but then began to move better and hit more aggressively, while Hantuchova was erratic, flustered by the unusual circumstances.
“It’s so hard to play against somebody that is struggling, and you kind of feel sorry,” Hantuchova said. “I lost it. I had my chances.”
Hantuchova shanked several shots down the stretch, including one in the rally where she lost serve to fall behind 4-2. Williams frequently punctuated points by screaming, “Come on!”
“I was going to die trying,” Williams said. “I figured my heart wouldn’t give out, so I had a good chance of making it.”
On the final point, she whacked a confident backhand return that Hantuchova couldn’t handle. Williams looked to the still-threatening sky and blew a kiss in gratitude toward the weather.
She’ll next play top-ranked Justine Henin.
“I’ve been looking forward to this match since the draw came out,” Williams said. I can only hope and pray that I can make it.”
Henin, seeking the only Grand Slam title she has yet to win, beat No. 15-seeded Patty Schnyder 6-2, 6-2.
Venus also advances
Williams’ sister, Venus, made it to the fourth round despite a performance so filled with errors she drew criticism from her father.
The three-time champion rallied past Akiko Morigami 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 in a match suspended Saturday. And she did it even though she faced 23 break points, double-faulted 14 times and trailed 5-3 in the third set.
Serena Williams’ injury, described by the WTA Tour as a spasm-induced left calf strain, struck after Hantuchova hit a forehand winner for a 5-5, 30-15 lead in the set. Williams grabbed her calf, tapped it three times with her racket head and fell to the grass.
She remained down for seven minutes. While a trainer massaged the calf, Williams grimaced, then screamed in pain.
She kept playing for another 11 minutes, wiping away tears before one point while hitting shots weakly and walking stiffly in pursuit of the ball. But she managed to hold for 6-all, then won the last two points before the delay.
Venus to meet Sharapova
Venus will next go against 2004 champion Maria Sharapova, one of only two players to win Saturday in the rain-plagued tournament. Venus trailed 4-1 in the second set when her match was halted, and when it resumed two days later she struggled from the start, losing the first seven points.
“If Venus moves up to the ball and takes it off the bounce instead of waiting behind the baseline, she’ll be the only one here, including Sharapova,” said Williams’ father and coach, Richard. “She’s not going to beat anyone if she’s not moving into the ball.”
Venus saw her match as a positive.
“When it was time, I did what it took. I definitely would like to do what it takes earlier,” she said. “But I think on the other hand, that kind of competition is invaluable in this kind of tournament. So either way it’s good for me.”
Henin needed only 56 minutes to beat the No. 15-seeded Schnyder. Henin has lost 15 games in four rounds.
“I did my job perfectly until now,” she said.