"This is as good a first round as Serena Williams could get" - Pam Shriver on the American's US Open 1R match against Danka Kovinic
Serena Williams will take on Danka Kovinic in her first-round match of the 2022 US Open as per the draw released on Thursday.
Pam Shriver took to social media to voice her thoughts on Williams' opening-round opponent in what is widely expected to be the last tournament in the tennis legend's career.
"Serena Williams first round opponent Kovinic has won 4 games in her last 4 sets played. Kovinic much better on clay, where at Roland Garros pushed Iga in 3rd round loss. Serena has won more matches since Wimbledon than Kovinic. This is as good a first round as Serena could get," Shirver tweeted.
@serenawilliams first round opponent Kovinic has won 4 games in her last 4 sets played. Kovinic much better on clay, where at @rolandgarros pushed Iga in 3rd round loss. Serena has won more matches since Wimbledon than Kovinic. This is as good a first round as Serena could get.
Kovinic recently lost to Magdalena Frech 7-6, 6-2 in a Round of 32 clash at the Granby National Bank Championships. The Montenegrin also went down 6-0, 6-2 to Nuria Parrizas Diaz in the qualifiers of the Cincinnati Masters. She made it to the third round at Roland Garros before going 6-3, 7-5 to eventual champion Iga Swiatek.
Meanwhile, Williams won her first-round match at the Canadian Open before going down 6-2, 6-4 to Belinda Bencic. In Cincinnati, the former World No. 1 was comprehensively beaten by reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu 6-4, 6-0 in the opening round.
Serena Williams will open with Danka Kovinic in her final US Open. https://t.co/cSjGuZIHKj
The 2022 US Open first-round matches will be played on Monday and Tuesday.
Serena Williams' quest for seventh US Open and 24th Grand Slam title
Serena Williams had earlier announced that she would "evolve" away from tennis after the New York Major.
After a 12-month hiatus, Williams returned to action earlier this year by playing in the doubles competition in Eastbourne. In her first singles match, she went down to Harmony Tan in the first round at Wimbledon.
The 40-year-old, who is unseeded at this year's US Open, may run into second-seeded Anett Kontaveit in the second round if she overcomes Kovinic. If she comes through, she could square off against Martina Trevisan in the third round.
The queen and her court.
Serena Williams was putting in WORK this morning in Ashe. https://t.co/yC45wMUqJ2
The 23-time Grand Slam champion could then take on either 2021 US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez or 2021 French-Open champion Barbora Krejcikova in the fourth round. Top seed and 2022 French Open champion Iga Swiatek also features in Williams' quarter of the draw.
She has thus far been unsuccessful in her quest to equal Margaret Court's tally of 24 Grand Slam wins, losing all four Grand Slam finals she has contested.
Williams is a six-time US Open champion. She won her first title by beating Martina Hingis in the 1999 final, which saw her become the second African-American woman to win a Major after Althea Gibson in 1958. A second US Open crown awaited Williams in 2002 when she got past sister Venus in the final, while a win against Jelena Jankovic in the 2008 final enabled the American legend to win a third title in New York.
She won three successive titles from 2012 to 2014, defeating Victoria Azarenka in back-to-back finals before outplaying Caroline Wozniacki.