Winning a 20th grand slam at the age of 33, after competing for almost two decades on tour and standing just two majors away from the Open Era record of Steffi Graf is a remarkable feat.
– Serena wins 20th Grand Slam title in Paris
– GALLERY: The Kings and Queens of Roland Garros
– French Open diary: Schweinsteiger and Becker’s bond
But it’s even more remarkable doing it while battling a bad flu that kept you in bed shaking the night before and unable to stand up let alone hit a ball.
Yet such is the degree of Serena Williams’ grit, that even in the face of illness and a feisty final opponent like Lucie Safarova, the American world No 1 managed to overcome a second set meltdown and register a 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-2 victory to lift a third trophy at Roland Garros.
It marked the fifth match – out of the seven she played to win the tournament – where Williams dropped a set, and it’s the first time in her career she has won a major losing as many sets en route.
“I barely made it home, I took a hot shower, got into bed & didn’t leave bed til late yesterday” Serena on health pic.twitter.com/Ta2UWWVvuL
— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) June 6, 2015
“I can’t believe I won,” said Williams after the match, sounding sick and looking drowsy even in press.
“Last night, I just went from a six to like a 12 in a matter of two hours (in terms of sickness level out of 10) and I was just miserable, I was literally in my bed shaking.
“But I started thinking positive. I was just like ‘think positive, think positive’. I felt really bad but everything that came out of my mouth was really positive but I really didn’t feel that I was going to be able to walk let alone compete.”
Her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou says the idea of pulling out of the match was on the table but “between thinking about it and doing it there is a step that she was far from making,” the Frenchman explained.
The win means Williams is now halfway towards a Grand Slam – winning all four majors in the same season – and as she pointed out in her press conference, she is also three quarters towards a ‘Serena Slam’ which is winning four in a row but not in the same calendar year – something Williams has achieved in 2002 and 2003.
“I think it would be awesome, but at the end of the day it’s pretty awesome to have 20. Obviously I would love to win a Grand Slam. I haven’t done great at Wimbledon the past two years, so I’m going to take it a day at a time there,” said Williams.
In the final against grand slam final debutante, Safarova, Williams looked on her way to routine win when she went up a set and a double-break with two game points to hold for 6-3, 5-1.
But a surprise lapse and a string of double faults allowed Safarova back in the match as the Czech lefty rallied to make it 4-4.
“Once she saw that I got a little tight she started playing really a lot better, started playing like the player that got her to the final,” said of her meltdown.
Williams howled at herself “what are you doing?” as she missed a first serve but she followed that with a huge “come on” as she aced to hold for 5-5. The top seed ripped a crosscourt backhand to break the next game and served for the championship. But Safarova broke back with two unreal winners that painted the lines and forced a tiebreak.
The No 13 seed played a brilliant tiebreak – she won six out of six this fortnight – to force a decider and broke for a 2-0 lead in the third set.
At the changeover, a furious Williams was heard directing expletives at herself “you f****** s***” she mumbled.
It worked, as the American broke back, ironically on a Safarova double fault, but she received a long overdue code violation for audible obscenity. Williams didn’t lose a game from then on as she stepped up a gear to win her 20th major in her 24th final appearance – a stunning record that reflects supreme efficiency on her part.
“It makes this trophy really special. I really wanted it. I wanted to win so bad,” she said of her difficult journey towards the title.
