NEW YORK (AP) — Serena Williams can name it “evolving” or “retiring” or no matter she desires. And she or he might be coy about whether or not or not this U.S. Open will truly mark the top of her enjoying days. These 23 Grand Slam titles earned that proper.

If she retains enjoying like this, who is aware of how lengthy this farewell will final?

It doesn’t matter what occurs as soon as her journey to Flushing Meadows is over, here’s what is essential to know after Wednesday evening: The 40-year-old Williams continues to be round, she’s nonetheless able to terrific tennis, she’s nonetheless successful — and, just like the adoring spectators whose roars stuffed Arthur Ashe Stadium once more — she’s prepared for extra.

Williams eradicated No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-2 within the U.S. Open’s second spherical to make sure that she is going to play not less than yet one more singles match at what she’s hinted would be the final match of her illustrious profession.

“There’s nonetheless a little bit left in me,” Williams mentioned with a smile throughout her on-court interview, then acknowledged throughout her post-match information convention: ”These moments are clearly fleeting.”

After beating 80th-ranked Danka Kovinic in straight units Monday, then accumulating her 23rd victory in her previous 25 matches towards somebody ranked Nos. 1 or 2 towards Kontaveit on Wednesday, the six-time champion at Flushing Meadows will play Friday for a spot within the fourth spherical.

Her opponent shall be Ajla Tomljanovic, a 29-year-old Australian who’s ranked 46th. They’ve by no means met, however Tomljanovic, who mentioned she considers herself a Williams fan, figures she is aware of what to anticipate from the American — and from these within the seats.

“I used to be enjoying on Court docket 7 each of my matches thus far similtaneously her, and I may hear the group. I’m like, ‘Court docket 7 isn’t that shut.’ I stored considering, ‘Oh, my God, that’s annoying me and I’m not even enjoying towards her,’” Tomljanovic mentioned. “I don’t understand how I’m going to do it.”

Making Williams’ potential path probably less complicated if she will be able to get previous Tomljanovic: 2021 U.S. Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez and 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova each misplaced.

On Wednesday, Williams hit serves at as much as 119 mph, stayed with Kontaveit throughout prolonged exchanges of massive swings from the baselines and conjured up a few of her trademark brilliance when it was wanted most.

After pulling out a good first set, then faltering within the second, Williams headed to the locker room for a loo break earlier than the third.

One thing needed to give, somebody needed to blink.

Once they resumed, it was Williams who lifted her degree and emerged as the higher participant.

Simply as she’s carried out so many occasions, on so many phases, with a lot at stake.

“I’m simply Serena. After I misplaced the second set, I believed, ‘Oh, my goodness, I higher give my finest effort as a result of this may very well be it,’” Williams mentioned, absolutely echoing the ideas of everybody paying any consideration.

“I by no means get to play like this — since ’98, actually,” she mentioned. “Actually, I’ve had an ‘X’ on my again since ’99,” the yr she claimed her first Grand Slam title on the U.S. Open at age 17.

No matter rust accrued when Williams missed a couple of yr of motion earlier than returning to the tour in late June seems to have vanished. She was 1-Three in 2022 coming into the U.S. Open.

“Now it’s sort of coming collectively,” Williams mentioned. “I imply, it needed to come collectively right this moment.”

Williams has doubles to play, too. She and her sister, Venus, have received 14 main championships as a crew and can start that occasion Thursday evening.

Kontaveit, a 26-year-old from Estonia, is a robust hitter in her personal proper, the type that unfold throughout girls’s tennis over the previous 20 years after a pair of siblings from Compton, California, modified the sport.

However there’s a caveat connected to Kontaveit’s rating: She has by no means received a lot as one quarterfinal match at any Grand Slam match in 30 profession appearances.

So possibly that’s why, very like with Kovinic 48 hours earlier, Williams’ opponent was launched simply by her title, and Kontaveit walked out to a smattering of applause. Williams, in distinction, bought the total therapy: spotlight video, a list of her many accolades and a loud greeting from of us a part of the biggest U.S. Open attendance ever at an evening session, 29,959, eclipsing the document set Monday.

“It was her second,” mentioned Kontaveit, who started crying in the course of the Estonian portion of her information convention and lower it brief. “In fact, that is completely about her.”

As strident a competitor as tennis, or any sport, has seen, as rightly self-confident in her skills as any athlete, Williams was not about to think about this complete train as merely a celebration of her profession.

She got here to New York eager to win, after all.

Carrying the identical glittery crystal-encrusted high and diamond-accented sneakers — replete with strong gold shoelace tags and the phrase “Queen” on the fitting one, “Mama” on the left — that she sported Monday, Williams was prepared for prime time.

The match started with Kontaveit grabbing the primary 5 factors, Williams the following 5. And on they went, backwards and forwards. Kontaveit’s errors had been cheered — even faults, drawing an admonishment for the group from chair umpire Alison Hughes about making noise between serves.

Early within the third set, Kontaveit hit a cross-court forehand that caught the outermost fringe of a sideline. A video on the stadium screens confirmed simply how shut it was, confirming that the ball did, certainly, land in. That introduced out boos from the stands. Williams raised her arm and wagged a finger, telling her backers to not trigger a fuss.

If something, Kontaveit acquired extra acknowledgment from the participant making an attempt to defeat her than anybody else, as Williams would reply to nice pictures with a nod or a racket clap.

“They weren’t rooting towards me. They simply wished Serena to win so unhealthy,” Kontaveit mentioned, calling the therapy she acquired “truthful,” even when it was “one thing I by no means skilled earlier than.”

Williams broke for a 5-Four edge when Kontaveit pushed a backhand lengthy, spurring yelling spectators to rise to their toes — and Williams’ husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, jumped proper in, too, waving his arms in her route, in entrance of the place Venus and Tiger Woods had been two seats aside.

Finally they went to a tiebreaker, and at 3-3, a chant of “Let’s go, Serena!” broke out, accompanied by rhythmic clapping. Quickly, Williams delivered a 101 mph service winner and a 91 mph ace to seal that set.

To Kontaveit’s credit score, she raced to a 3-Zero edge within the second with 10 winners and 0 unforced errors.

Within the third, after a swinging forehand volley winner put Williams a sport from victory, she raised each arms, then clenched her left fist.

One sport, and 5 minutes later, it was over — and her keep on the U.S. Open may proceed.

Requested whether or not she’s a title contender, Williams answered: “I cannot assume that far. I’m having enjoyable and I’m having fun with it.”

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