Sloane Surprise

Serena Williams is the best female tennis player on the planet of that there is no doubt, and her toughest match this year was against 19 year old American Sloane Stephens on the way to her Brisbane title.  It was in straight sets but it tested the great one who had praise for the rising star.

A few weeks on and the two were opponents once more but in a much more important circumstance - a Grand Slam tournament quarter final.  Serena had progressed here as expected by blasting four would be rivals off the court, be it the one in Hisense Arena or Rod Laver Arena, where today's clash had been scheduled.

Sloane, the 29th seed had knocked off Laura Robson in the fourth round who in turn had eliminated the Open's eighth seed Petra Kvitova.  While this would be an experience to remember for Stephens, there was no reason for Serena to make it one to cherish because this was a day for the Williams sister, and Sloane could have her turn down the track.

Set one was not vintage Serena and the rally exchanges were able to be entered into fairly freely by Sloane Stephens right from the word GO!
For a debut quarter final at this level, the cool performance throughout the first half dozen games or so impressed everyone, and must have been of concern to Serena who in the eighth game gained some respite with the first break points of the match.

The third of these successfully converted giving Serena a 5-3 lead and the option to serve for the set, which she took up without consultation.  The opening set to Williams 6-3 and so far pretty much to script in the scorebook but a closer contest on the court of play.

Set 2 and the biggest drama of the Aus Open was about to unfold.  Serena Williams broke Sloane Stephens to lead by a set and a break, but the match was turned on its head when Serena suffered a back injury.  It appeared to restrict her, but even without that discomfort, the younger American was actually beginning to dominate off her forehand and tactically winning by taking the net position whenever she could to shorten and finalise points.

Games were tied at 2-2 once Stephens had worked her way on top in many of the rallies and the 29th seed took a 5-3 advantage after the back problems of Serena entered the equation.  Serena took a medical time out off the court after she had somehow manufactured a break back in the ninth game, due in part to the inexperience of Stephens.

Upon her return games were quickly 5-5 and the unanswered question surrounded Serena's ability to survive a third set should the match need to go that far.
Sloane steadied and in general play was on equal terms with Serena - occasionally the shot of a champion would be fired but infrequently enough to not cause too much heartache for the emerging star.

At 5-6, Serena served and clearly was conscious of her predicament, delivering some painfully slow first and second serves which lit up the Stephens eyes.  In a poor standard game Serena sank to the lower of two lows and gave up the serve and with it the second set 7-5.  One set all, and Sloane Stephens also would be serving first in the decider.

Serena fought out the final set determined to overcome the injury disadvantage, and as the games rolled by she appeared to be able to play with more freedom and conviction.  What she lacked was the self confidence and trust in her ability to play the shots of which she is so capable as evidenced time and again this tournament.

Sloane Stephens could have been playing her twenty first quarter final and not her first, such was her poise in this most delicate of moments.  Games were on serve until the seventh, although Serena had to fight a long battle to level at 2-2.  At 3-3 with Stephens serving, Serena created her chances.

Three of these chances went begging as Sloane thrilled the crowd with her courage and brilliance under heavy fire.  Finally on the fourth she relented and at 4-3 with a serve to come surely the Serena moment had just happened.

Surely not because Serena was not the impregnable one today and Stephens had more than a fair share to do with that.  The break back was immediate and defiant, and for Serena it was the final kick in the guts.  The great one could not muster enough to break again and became easy fodder for Sloane in the twelfth game when she broke once more to defeat the best player on earth 3-6 7-5 6-4

A semi final against the reigning champion is the next day's challenge, and don't be surprised to find it just as challenging for Azarenka.

Aus Open 2013 confirms a new star, but the legend that is Serena Williams remains intact.