Defeat has always been hard to swallow for the fiercely competitive Williams and the 40-year-old American’s relentless will to win was on full display during an absorbing two-hour 27 minute contest of unexpected high quality, breathless intensity and drama.
“I’m a pretty good player,” said Williams with a sly grin when asked how she downed the world number two. “This is what I do best – I love a challenge, I love rising to a challenge.”“I’m super competitive – honestly I’m just looking at it as a bonus.With 23 Grand Slam titles and widely regarded as the greatest women’s player of all time, Williams indeed has done it all on the tennis court.
A former world number one for 319 weeks, Williams arrived in New York ranked below 600, unseeded and with just a single match win from three events coming into the season’s final Grand Slam.