Serena, the top seed and world No. 1, is set to take the Ashe Stadium court under the lights on Tuesday night against Russian Ekaterina Makarova, against whom Williams is 4-1, including a victory in the 2014 semifinals.
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Serena Williams is “pain-free” as she begins her bid to win a record 23rd grand slam title at the US Open, according to the American’s coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
With Roger Federer absent from Flushing Meadows while he recovers from a back problem and Nadal still suffering from a wrist injury of his own, the year’s final major tournament suddenly appears there for Murray’s taking.
Williams lost in the semifinals past year to unseeded Italian Roberta Vinci.
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The 2010 and 2013 champion here won the doubles gold at Rio but lost the singles bronze medal play-off to Kei Nishikori.
Far from feeling stressed by the chance to topple Williams, Kerber said she is thriving on the race for number one. “I prefer to play more coming into the final Grand Slam of the year. there is nothing we can do about it”.
“I had to win one set and I was completely too much pressure on myself”.
The British number five will earn 43,313 USA dollars (£33,000) for her progress, but also invaluable confidence, the victory coming after she won an ITF event in Landisville earlier this month.
“When you look at the relative head-to-heads that he has against the people in there, I think in general he’s going to be pretty happy with it”, Petchey told Sky Sports.
“Every year Serena adds to her resume and history in the game, the NY crowds, while she’s never been beloved, I think the appreciation and realization that the fans are looking at an athlete that comes along once in a blue moon”. I feel really good about it.
“I think Novak has got the sort of draw that will get himself nicely in the groove at the US Open”, Petchey added.
“I think I’m playing my best tennis just now. the last four, five months are not even close to anything else I had done before”, said Murray, who is chasing a fourth career major.
This year s US Open is missing both Victoria Azarenka who is pregnant and former champion Maria Sharapova who is serving a doping suspension.
British number two Heather Watson, also drawn to play a qualifier, will face Holland’s Richel Hogenkamp in round one.
” I’m 29.” Murray said Friday at the US Open. “So I need to try and keep that going, and the U.S. Open is always the next big goal”.
Djokovic has been drawn against Jerzy Janowicz, while Nadal is up against Denis Istomin.
Constrastingly, Andy Murray is having rosy time at the tennis court.
Williams, 34, comes into the US Open after suffering a shoulder injury which forced her out of the Cincinnati event last week.
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Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 US Open victor, has been handed a wildcard entry into the tournament after taking silver in Brazil and could be an awkward early obstacle for the favourites.
