.serenawilliams' pursuit of a record equaling 24th Grand Slam title remains the most compelling plot in the women's singles at this year's usopen with the draw ravaged by fears over the Covid19 pandemic. | IOLsport Pic: Timothy D. Easley/AP Photo
4️⃣ 🇯![CDATA[]]>🇵 Naomi Osaka vs 6️⃣ 🇨![CDATA[]]>🇿 Petra Kvitova2️⃣ 🇺![CDATA[]]>🇸 Sofia Kenin vs 5️⃣ 🇧![CDATA[]]>🇾 Aryna SabalenkaWilliams, who turns 39 next month, reached four Grand Slam finals since giving birth to daughter Olympia in 2017, including the last two at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, but has been denied on all four occasions.
Her long-time coach Patrick Mouratoglou believes she remains as motivated as ever to win more titles while Williams feels the fittest in years - a warning for her challengers in New York.Going by rankings, the most serious challenge is expected to come from Czech Karolina Pliskova but the world number three, who will be the highest seed, was bundled out in straight sets in her first match of the US Open tune-up event. Pliskova's loss was not the only upset this week with the sport returning after a five-month halt due to the pandemic, robbing players of match practice. The shutdown could not have come at a worse time for American Sofia Kenin, who lifted her first Grand Slam trophy in Melbourne and added a WTA title in Lyon days before the circuit came to a halt.While Pliskova failed to shake off the rust, that was no excuse for the 21-year-old Kenin, who got plenty of matches under her belt during the World TeamTennis event. Kenin still failed to get going in her first match at the Western and Southern Open as did two-times Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, another surprise early loser ahead of next week's Grand Slam at the same venue. Two-time Grand Slam winner Garbine Muguruza was also robbed of game time as she had to pull out of the Open tune-up due to an ankle injury.
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