Venus Williams Beats Back a Challenge From a Plucky American Compatriot

Venus Williams Come Back

The first time Venus Williams served for the match, she double-faulted. Then she double-faulted again. Her opponent, the plucky 25-year-old Irina Falconi, won the break, pumping dim life back into an otherwise ineffective effort.

But the second time Williams served for the match in the second set, losing that game as well, what was looking like a breezy advancement into the third round was turning into a protracted battle.

The momentum carried Falconi to a win in the tiebreaker, sending Williams into a third set for the second time in this United States Open. Williams, a 35-year-old former Open champion, eventually wore down her opponent, 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-2 on Wednesday at Arthur Ashe Stadium. But the match required 36 additional minutes to complete, adding strain that Williams had opportunities to avoid.

 

 

“A combination of errors,” she said, summarizing what momentarily derailed her performance.

Williams, who is nine inches taller and a decade older than Falconi, moved well, coming to net 36 times, winning nearly a third of her total points. But 47 unforced errors and some struggles with her serve made it a long night.

It was reminiscent of Williams’s first-round match with Monica Puig, which featured Puig fighting off four match points in a second-set tiebreaker before conceding, 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-3, in the heat Monday afternoon.


Two days later, under the lights, conditions were far more favorable for Williams, who has Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that can sap her energy. A light breeze swept over the arena’s new roof. Williams looked comfortable early, stealing two breaks in the first set.

Falconi, who was raised in New York between the ages of 2 and 14, learning the game on courts in Inwood while attending school in Harlem, has reached no further than the third round here in 2011. But serving for the match in the second set, it was Williams, playing in the 32nd night match in her career at Ashe, who appeared shaky.

Williams twice stuck her second serve into the net for two double faults to begin the game. Three points later, Falconi celebrated as Williams’s forehand sailed wide to drop the game.


That only made the score 5-5. Williams managed to break Falconi’s next service game and give herself a second opportunity to serve for the match. But after Williams took a 30-15 lead, Falconi worked the game to deuce, eventually winning on an eight-shot rally after Williams’ groundstroke sailed long.

“I was really impressed with those drop shot returns off her serve,” Williams said. “It was insane. Just great hands.”

Williams was far more effective with her serve as Falconi began to wear down. After committing 22 unforced errors in the second set, Williams trimmed that number to 10 in the third, with seven winners and 10 points at net. She returned 23 of Falconi’s 24 serves.


Williams, the oldest player in the draw, is trying to last long enough to potentially meet her sister, Serena, in the quarterfinals. (source: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/03/sports/tennis)

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