Serena Williams had a record-setting win on route to the US Open quarterfinals, but sister Venus Williams fell to Karolina Pliskova in a third-set tiebreak.
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Pliskova had to battle back from the brink as she trailed Williams by a set and 3-1, and then 5-4 in the decider, when the American came within a point of victory on her opponent’s serve.
Instead, the soon-to-be 35-year-old was the first one on the practice courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, preparing for a run toward her 23rd Grand Slam title. Williams collected her 308th grand slam to move past Roger Federer, who is now injured, for the top spot on the all-time list. “I think that is something that is super important”.
Asked about speculation that she could be contemplating retirement at some point in the not-too-distant future, Wozniacki said: “I don’t want to really talk about that now”.
“When I came here, I was telling myself just play round by round, play my best and just go out to win my matches”.
Williams said that “it is a really huge number” something that she is really proud of.
Williams is 308-42 in majors, with her victory breakdown being 88 at the US Open, 86 at Wimbledon, 74 at the Australian Open, and 60 at Roland Garros.
“This time, I got revenge, so I’m really happy”.
Ahead of her history-making feat, Williams was the subject of a Nike ad chronicling her journey to tennis stardom.
The sixth-seeded Williams led 5-4 in the third set and up 30-40 with Pliskova serving.
She moves on to the quarter-finals where she will face Romanian fifth seed Simona Halep, who beat Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2 7-5.
Elsewhere in the women’s draw, 18-year-old Ana Konjuh stunned Poland’s fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska with a surprise 6-4, 6-4 triumph.
The 6-4, 6-4 triumph avenged a bitter disappointment for Konjuh, who held 3 match points against Radwanska in the second round at Wimbledon before falling 9-7 in the third round after stepping on a ball and turning her ankle. “I just think winning 308 matches in general is pretty awesome”. Now that he is healthy, he is winning matches again.
“It’s always tough to play Roberta, she always comes out to play great tennis”, said Kerber, who last made the semi-finals in NY in 2011. She lost to Madison Keys in the third round previous year and to Peng Shuai in the second round in 2014.
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“I just feel like I’m going out there doing what I need to do”, said Williams.
