Time for Serena Williams to convert a break point

Even if Serena Williams had conquered Roberta Vinci in New York and gone on to become only the fourth woman in history to win all four majors in a calendar year, the American would probably have been too exhausted to finish the season.

The world No 1 would have been drained, mentally more than physically, after achieving one of the rarest feats in sport.

After Vinci’s cruel intervention that Friday to stop Williams’s calendar grand slam bid in the US Open semi-finals, a break was imperative.

The 21-time major champion was now nursing a heartbreak along with a number of niggles.

“It’s no secret I’ve played injured most of the year – whether it was my elbow, my knee or in the final moments after a certain match in Flushing [the US Open], my heart,” Williams was quoted as saying on the China Open website as she announced her decision to bring down the curtains on her 2015 campaign.

It is her heart that is probably aching the most, for victory in New York would have confirmed Williams’s spot among the sport’s elites, putting her alongside Margaret Court (1970) and Steffi Graf (1988) as the only woman to win the calendar grand slam in the Open era (Maureen Connolly Brinker had earlier won all four majors in 1953).

Williams would also have drawn level with Graf on the list of the most grand slam singles titles on 22, with only Court ahead on 24.

Those records still remain within her reach, but the opportunity to achieve a career grand slam is probably gone.

“She was two matches away from something really big, so it was very painful,” Williams’s coach Patrick Mouratoglou told ESPN. “Any loss is very painful for her, but this one even more than usual, so it just takes time to recover from it.”

So this break is crucial for Williams. Staying away from the glare after months of intense pressure could help her find peace, heal and rediscover her motivation.

“I plan to return to practising and participating in exhibition matches later this year,” said Williams, who lost only three singles matches in 2015 and had a run of 33 straight singles victories at the majors before her loss to Vinci.

“And when I do, l will focus and focus and focus, so I can continue my journey in this beautiful game.”

However, the journey will have a lot more stops in the future and Williams’s fans will have to get used to it.

Like Roger Federer, who is also 34, Williams will have to manage her schedule carefully.

Her focus will, obviously, be on the grand slam tournaments, and while that might not please everyone, the fact is tennis players are remembered by the number of majors they have won, not by the number of year-end championships on their resume.

arizvi@thenational.ae

Lewis Hamilton in 2018

Australia 2nd; Bahrain 3rd; China 4th; Azerbaijan 1st; Spain 1st; Monaco 3rd; Canada 5th; France 1st; Austria DNF; Britain 2nd; Germany 1st; Hungary 1st; Belgium 2nd; Italy 1st; Singapore 1st; Russia 1st; Japan 1st; United States 3rd; Mexico 4th

How to register as a donor

1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention

2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants

3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.

4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope

The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X

Price, as tested: Dh84,000

Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo

Transmission: Six-speed auto

Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm

Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km

Key facilities

Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

What sanctions would be reimposed?

Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

An arms embargo
A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods

Stamp%20duty%20timeline

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The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

The%20Roundup

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MATCH INFO

Scotland 59 (Tries: Hastings (2), G Horne (3), Turner, Seymour, Barclay, Kinghorn, McInally; Cons: Hastings 8)

Russia 0

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

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