Serena Williams wins French Open for third time
PARIS – What started out as a stroll became quite a struggle for Serena Williams.
After going up by a set and two breaks in the French Open final Saturday, she double-faulted away that lead. Then, suddenly, she trailed in the third set.
As the tension thickened, Williams was warned by the chair umpire for cursing loudly. She even felt the need to hit one shot left-handed.
Ah, but when Williams plays her best, no one is better. Putting aside a lingering illness, a midmatch lull and a feisty opponent, Williams won her third title at Roland Garros and 20th Grand Slam singles trophy by beating 13th-seeded Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-2.
“I got so frustrated. I was just so angry at myself. I pretty much gave the match away,” the No. 1-seeded Williams said, her voice scratchy and her nose stuffy. “I just had to, like, try to pull it together.”
That she did, taking the last six games and adding to her 2002 and 2013 championships on the French Open’s red clay. Those go alongside six each from the U.S. Open and Australian Open, and five from Wimbledon.
“When I was a little girl, in California, my father and my mother wanted me to play tennis,” the 33-year-old American told the crown in French earlier. “And now I’m here, with 20 Grand Slam titles.”
Only two players in the century-plus history of Grand Slam tennis have more: Margaret Smith Court with 24 and Steffi Graf with 22.
Williams also stretched her winning streak at the majors to 21 matches, following titles at the U.S. Open last September and Australian Open in January.
She is the first woman since Jennifer Capriati in 2001 to win the Australian Open and French Open back-to-back.
Djokovic to face Wawrinka
No. 1-seeded Novak Djokovic reached his third French Open final the hard way, getting past No. 3 Andy Murray 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 6-1 in the resumption of a suspended match. The victory stretched his winning streak to 28.
The semifinal was halted at 3-all in the fourth set Friday night because of an incoming storm. Murray took that set when they returned, but Djokovic was superb in the fifth, and Saturday’s play took 61 minutes, bringing the total count to 4 hours, 9 minutes.
Less than 25 hours after finishing off Murray, Djokovic will face No. 8 Stan Wawrinka with a chance to become only the eighth man in tennis history to own at least one trophy from each of the sport’s four most prestigious tournaments. He already owns five from the Australian Open, two from Wimbledon and one from the U.S. Open.
Bryans drop doubles final
Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo won their first Grand Slam title by edging two-time champions Bob and Mike Bryan 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-5 in the French Open doubles final.
Melo clipped a superb lob over the head of the top-seeded Bryans to level on sets, and the Brazilian player hit the winner with a neat volley to the side to prompt wild celebrations with Dodig, a Croatian.
The Bryan twins were going after their 17th major title and 107th career title. They also won at Roland Garros in 2003 and 2013.
All-American junior final
Who said Americans can’t play on clay? Not Tommy Paul, for sure.
Tommy Paul, an 18-year-old American, won the first all-American boys final at the French Open with a 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-2 defeat of second-seeded Taylor Fritz.
Paul, who learned his trade on the slow surface, became the sixth American boy to win the junior title in Paris.