PARIS — The question looming over the French Open on Friday: Which version of Serena Williams will show up for the semifinals?
The world No. 1 and defending champion has played some of her best tennis this fortnight, but she’s also played some of her worst, including in a scratchy come-from-behind win over 60th-ranked Yulia Putintseva on a wet and dreary Thursday in Paris, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1.
Williams, 34, will be heavily favored when she takes the court against world No. 58 Kiki Bertens, a first-time major semifinalist.
“When I don’t play well … I really want to come out and do a lot better and prove that I can be better than that” in the next match, Williams said of her topsy-turvy form.
Friday features a full slate in what has been a waterlogged Roland Garros: Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka also will do battle on Court Philippe Chatrier along with Williams-Bertents. While Sam Stosur vs. Garbiñe Muguruza and Novak Djokovic vs. Dominic Thiem are set for Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Djokovic’s win Thursday came not without controversy. He went to smack his racket on the ground midway through a straight-sets victory over Tomas Berdych and it went flying out of his hand, errantly hurling towards a linesperson, who moved out of its path.
Should the racket have hit the linesperson, Djokovic, who continues to chase the career Grand Slam here having not won in Paris, could have potentially been defaulted from the match.
“I was lucky there, that’s all,” an irritated Djokovic said. “It was just some unfortunate bounce, but fortunate ending of that scenario. That’s all I can say.”
What can be said about Williams as she continues her quest towards Steffi Graf’s Open era record of 22 major titles will very much be up to her — and her form Friday.
Having played poorly in a third-round match against Kristina Mladenovic, Williams was on fire in round four against Elina Svitolina, dropping just two games. But her level dropped again Thursday, when she hit 43 unforced errors against the fiery Putintseva.
“I always try to have a plan B and C and go from there,” Williams said after the match.
“You never know when it’s coming,” said former world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport of Serena’s dip in form. “In the early rounds there are always one of those days where things are not clicking. We’ll see if that turns out to be the Mladenovic match. She was a completely different player against Svitolina.”
Is she the most unpredictable player in tennis? Perhaps not, but close to it.
“The ups are higher, otherwise she wouldn’t have 21 Grand Slams,” said Patrick Mouratoglou, Williams’ coach, of her ups and downs. “The downs… she’s not a normal player with normal expectations. The things that are on her shoulders are very, very heavy. Everyone expects her to win every single match throughout the year. When she doesn’t feel good, her level goes low. But still, she finds a way to win.”
Lindsay Davenport, also a Tennis Channel commentator, spoke of Williams’ ability to persevere.
“She is in her mid-30s and is still by far the best player in the world,” added Davenport, a former rival of Williams. “She just has the ability to get out of these jams with the serve, the forehand and her mental weapons. Most players find the nerves creep in more as they get older, but I haven’t found that to be the case with Serena.”
The nerves nearly paralyzed Williams as she tried to close the calendar Grand Slam last year at the U.S. Open, freezing in the semifinals against a free-swinging Roberta Vinci.
No player can play at his or her best for seven matches over a major event. It’s about finding the way to win, as Williams did against Putintseva.
“It’s very hard to play your best tennis every single day,” said Stosur, the 2011 U.S. Open winner. “I think typically whoever wins a Grand Slam, they don’t always play their best tennis ... but they find a way to win.”
Williams did that time and again in Paris last year, needing five three-set matches to capture the title here. Thursday she told Marion Bartoli on court that she thought she was finished in the second set.
“Honestly, at one point I didn't see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Williams said in her post-match press.
Some think the cracks in her armor have started to show after that loss to Vinci in New York and to Angelique Kerber in the Australian Open final. Before two weeks ago in Rome she had gone over nine months without a title.
“I think on a day like this, in a match like this, some of the losses that occurred in the last year, she would think about that,” Mouratoglou offered.
He continued: “She’s not happy with her performance. She’s very demanding of herself. Sometimes when she wins she’s so (angry) at herself, she feels like it’s unprofessional to play at that level. She was not happy, and I think that’s a good thing.”
Thursday evening it took Williams over two and a half hours to come to press, the world No. 1 saying she wanted to “finish up everything” in preparation for Friday.
She is a collective 12-4 against the three remaining players in the draw, while Bertens has won 12 consecutive matches on tour, having qualified and won a small event in the lead-up to the French Open. This is their second meeting.
“I consider every player dangerous, especially in a Grand Slam semifinal,” Mouratoglou said of Bertens. “She’s not there by chance.”
What are the chances Williams brings her best to the court Friday? If you’re going by what she said Thursday, she will come back strong.
“It’s a good sign for tomorrow,” Mouratoglou smiled when told as much. “I’m happy to hear it.”
It will be Williams’ third match in as many days, and should she win, she’ll play the women’s final on Saturday, weather allowing. Davenport sees that as a good thing for Serena: Less time to think about what’s in front of her.
“There is no time to think,” Davenport said. “Normally, you get caught up in the Grand Slam pressure and each match. But with this schedule, you have to just go out and play.”
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