Serena Williams Saturday said she was unconcerned at being the last American standing at the Australian Open, and backed the great tennis nation to rise again as new stars mature. The 13-time grand slam queen, who hammered Hungary’s Greta Arn 6-1, 6-1 to move serenely into the fourth round, said players like John Isner and Sloane Stephens showed the United States had a bright future.
She was speaking after no American man reached the last 16 for the first time in the open era, among editions US players have entered. Vania King, the only other American woman left on Saturday, was beaten by Ana Ivanovic. “I think Sloane Stephens played really well. I think she just played tough players,” said Williams, referring to the 18-year-old’s loss to Svetlana Kuznetsova. “Svetlana is a grand slam champion and she (Stephens) almost came through in that. I think John (Isner) played really well. He played marathon matches, so that was tough.
“Andy (Roddick) unfortunately had to retire, it wasn’t necessarily his fault. I think we are all doing pretty well. I’m still in the tournament. We’re just all fighting.” Roddick was forced to retire with a hamstring strain while playing Lleyton Hewitt, US number one Mardy Fish went out to Alejandro Falla and five-set specialist Isner exited at the hands of Feliciano Lopez. While Williams’ sister Venus skipped Melbourne because of an autoimmune disease, inexperienced Stephens was beaten in the second round. But Williams said she didn’t even think of her nationality when she stepped on court. “I really don’t think when I go out there that I’m the last American,” she said. “I just think, you know, I’m trying to come in here and win this match, play this girl. That’s all I really think about.” And Williams was in ominous form as she dominated Arn, the world number 92, to win in less than an hour on Saturday. The 32-year-old Hungarian had a break point in the opening game, but could not press her advantage as Williams stepped up to overpower her opponent and run away with the match in 59 minutes.
Williams broke Arn twice in the first set and three times in the second as the Hungarian wilted on the big stage of a grand slam centre court. But Williams, playing only her second tournament since the US Open last September, said she still had some way to go before she was fully match-fit. “I’m nowhere near where I want to be, but I’m trying to play through it,” she said. “I’m really rusty — I’m just trying to play through the rust.”
