London Olympic Games 2012

Friday, September 7, 2012

US Open 2012: Serena Williams vs Sara Errani – as it happened

US Open 2012: Serena Williams vs Sara Errani – as it happened

Wrap-up

Serena Williams has beaten Sara Errani 6-1, 6-2 in the second women's semi-final at the 2012 US Open, and that about sums up what you need to know from a match that should have been prefixed by the very definition of 'mis'. Errani is the world No10, which is fair enough, but Serena Williams is the No4 and that seems a tad odd, all told. You'd have to back her to beat Victoria Azarenka in tomorrow, Saturday night's final.

Remains only to a) put out an all-boffins call for an explanation of the rankings system and b) ponder how to play myself out.

Well, there's only one way, isn't there?

Will be back – with Sir Roger, possibly, whether beating up muppets while singing at them or not – tomorrow.


Serena Williams wins 6-1, 6-2

Second set: Williams 6-2 Errani* (*denotes next server) Williams wins 6-1, 6-2

Serena to serve for the match, which one rather expects she will win in something rather like short order.

Errani challenges a call on the first point, and loses the challenge as her return was indeed out. Serena dominates the next point, behind a heavy serve, for 30-0. Williams has won 21-9 on unforced errors, but this is triple match point time.

Match point #1: not an ace, though it looked like one. A second serve ace follows, though, and in an hour and four minutes that's that and Serena Williams will face Victoria Azarenka tomorrow – Saturday – night.


Second set: Williams* 5-2 Errani (*denotes next server) Williams leads 6-1, 5-2

Errani to stay in it, then... Serena tries a ludicrously optimistic drop shot from the baseline and doesn't make it, so it's 15-0, and it's 30-0 as a return of serve goes long. An Errani error follows, though - under no pressure whatsoever - and another on a sliced backhand to the baseline. Some form of game plan there... not that it worked.

At 30-all, Serena plays a fine double-handed backhand down the lines and it is, inevitably, match point.

Match point #1: Serena hits the net with her service return, and then misses an aggressive attempted winner down the line. Serena tries a drop shot, seems to amble after it and Errani gets to it to play the winner and take the game.

Second set: Williams 5-1 Errani* (*denotes next server) Williams leads 6-1, 5-1

Serena to serve, needing only two games to get this semi-final over and done with. Massive first serve for 15-0, although Errani got a touch on it to stop Serena taking four aces in a row.

A rather feathered, placed ace makes it 30-15, though, and a bad error on the forehand for Errani makes it 40-15. Ace does it.

Second set: Williams* 4-1 Errani (*denotes next server) Williams leads 6-1, 4-1

Marvellous winner from Serena when Errani makes a rare appearance at the net, a forehand too hard and too low for the Italian to cope. The next point is bossed by Serena for 0-30 and the one after that... brings a bad error from Serena at the net. Double-handed backhand to open court and she duffed it. Hey-ho.

And another error, double-handed forehand into the net this time, makes it 30-all. Williams' errors are keeping Errani vaguely alive, but break point then arrives with a fierce backhand at the net and a very loud scream indeed.

Can one be "vaguely alive"? Surely one is alive or one, well, isn't.

As if to illustrate the point, Errani loses break point on the rally, finding the net yet again, and thus, to all intents and purposes, now isn't alive in this match.


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