Serena Williams into US Open third round

Serena Williams defeated second seed Anett Kontaveit 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-2 in the US Open second round on Wednesday.

Serena Williams of the U.S. celebrates winning her second round match against Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Serena Williams eliminated No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-2 in the U.S. Open’s second round Wednesday night to ensure that the 23-time Grand Slam champion will play at least one more singles match at what she’s hinted will be the last tournament of her illustrious career.

“There’s still a little left in me,” Williams said with a smile during her on-court interview.

“This is what I do best,” she added. “I love a challenge and I’m rising to the challenge.”

The 40-year-old Williams was again buoyed by a loud crowd at a full Arthur Ashe Stadium, just as she was in the first round two days earlier.

Asked how she’s doing it so far, Williams replied with a hearty laugh: “Well, I’m a pretty good player.

She hit serves at up to 119 mph, stayed with Kontaveit during lengthy exchanges of big swings from the baselines and conjured up some of her trademark brilliance when it was needed most.

After pulling out a tight first set, then faltering a bit in the second, Williams headed to the locker room for a bit of a break before the third.

Something had to give, someone had to blink.

When they resumed, it was Williams who lifted her level and emerged as the better player.

Just as she’s done so many times, on so many stages, with so much at stake.

“I’m just Serena. After I lost the second set, I thought, ‘Oh, my goodness, I better give my best effort because this could be it,’” Williams said, surely echoing the thoughts of every one of the people paying any attention.

“I’m super competitive. Honestly, I’m just looking at it as a bonus. I don’t have anything to prove,” she said, which certainly is true. “I never get to play like this — since ’98, really. Literally, I’ve had an ‘X’ on my back since ’99,” the year she claimed her first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open at age 17.

Williams missed about a year of action before returning to the tour in late June at Wimbledon. She lost in the first round there and was 1-3 in 2022 entering ths U.S. Open, where she is 2-0 this week.

Williams also has doubles to play, too. She and her sister, Venus, have won 14 major championships as a team and will begin that event Thursday night.