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US Open: This has to get better in Serena's second match

Serena Williams ' career will be extended by at least one match tonight New York time (live from 1 a.m. on ServusTV and on Eurosport). The audience will also be challenged.

by Jens Huiber
last edit: Aug 31, 2022, 07:33 am

A few people then applauded
© Getty Images
A few people then applauded

Looking back on her first and not last appearance at the US Open, Serena Williams couldn't stop raving about the audience's support. In anticipation of her meeting with Anett Kontaveit today, however, one can say: There's more to come! Because actually one should have assumed that the roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium rises when Serena enters the court. Yes, even if this roof was open like it was on Monday evening.

But instead: Of course there was a lot of applause, but it felt like two-thirds of the fans in the stands didn't have their hands free because they had to capture the historic moment with their cell phones. After all, there weren't any TV pictures that could later be called up on various video portals.

Stephen A. Smith expects Serena to reach the semifinals

Of course, the phenomenon is not new: Anyone who watches concerts from the 1980s on those video portals will come across people in the audience who are completely devoted to the act on stage. Or at least the charming companion.

The audience's divided attention was one thing, the general expectation another, as Stephen A. Smith, one of the most opinionated sports journalists, explained on the ESPN show "First Take". What bothered him that night, Smith said, was that most fans assumed it would be the last match of Serena Williams' career. A completely wrong approach! He, Smith, expects at least a semi-final for Serena given Williams' achievements.

According to the most recent experiences in Toronto and Cincinnati, that in turn would actually be a development that should definitely be recorded on your mobile phone.

Here is the individual tableau at the US Open

nycmap

by Jens Huiber

Wednesday
Aug 31, 2022, 11:10 am
last edit: Aug 31, 2022, 07:33 am