Serena Williams has warned her Wimbledon rivals she won’t suffer
the same humiliation as Novak Djokovic as she steps up her
bid for a record-equalling 22nd major title.
Serena was as shocked as the rest of the tennis world by
Djokovic’s third round exit against Sam Querrey on Saturday, but she is using demise as a valuable lesson not to underestimate
her opponents.
She put that plan into practice as she defeated Germany’s Annika Beck 6-3, 6-0 in 51 minutes on Centre Court on Sunday, winning
11 of the last 12 games to earn her 300th Grand Slam victory.
Serena was so dominant that in the second set she lost only four
points, and none on her serve, prompting former Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna
to describe the American as “absolutely flawless”.
And Williams, who hasn’t won a major since last year’s
Wimbledon, revealed fear of enduring a humbling loss like Djokovic is keeping
her focused ahead of Monday’s last 16 clash with Russian 13th seed Svetlana
Kuznetsova.
“Every time I step out on the court, if I don’t win, it’s major
national news. But if I do win, it’s just like a small tag in the corner,” Serena said, who is hoping to tie Steffi Graf’s Open era record of 22 Grand Slam
triumphs.
“I think there is only two people that you can say that about
out of all the athletes.
“He and I have both made extreme history. He’s won four in a
row. I won four in a row last year. I think that’s historic in itself.
“I thought Djokovic would bounce back. I was surprised he didn’t,
actually.
“It is what it is. I don’t look at it as a burden. It’s really
awesome to be in that position.”
“It gives me a lot of
confidence. I know what it takes to win these tournaments. It’s just about
doing it now,” she said.
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