US Open 2022: Serena Williams beats World No. 2 Anett Kontaveit, sets up third-round clash with Ajla Tomljanovic

Serena Williams is through to the third round of the 2022 US Open with a three-set defeat of Anett Kontaveit on Wednesday night. The American veteran came through her second-round contest with a 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-2 win at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The 40-year-old announced her plans to retire last month and her every public appearance has since been celebrated by a raucous crowd, especially when on the pitch. She entered New York to compete in her home Grand Slam for one last time before evolving away, as she put it, from the sport she has dominated for more than two decades.

She entered her first-round match against Danka Kovinic with one win from four matches (singles) in more than a year. But the form book went out of the window as the packed arena pushed her to register a comfortable 6-3, 6-3 win.

Her second-round contest, however, was a more tightly contested affair as World No. 2 Kontaveit made her work harder for the win. The occasion and the boisterous fans seem to have weighed in more on the Estonian than the 23-time Grand Slam champion.

Williams won the first set via a tiebreak with two fantastic serves, the second of which was an ace. Just as she looked to have found momentum, Kontaveit rose to the occasion and took the second set with ease, winning six of eight games.

The American veteran began the third set in full knowledge that it could be the final one of her career. She started strong and won a break when Kontaveit’s forehand sailed long. She looked on course to go 3-0 up before Kontaveit converted her second break point. The six-time US champion immediately broke back to make it 3-1.

She backed it up with a good service game and saved a break point to take a 5-2 lead in the deciding set. A backhand winner that has been a constant feature in her career saw her seal the set, match and her place in the next round.

Serena Williams will be back in singles action on Friday with Ajla Tomljanovic her next opponent.

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Serena Williams and Venus Williams will be in doubles action at 2022 US Open

Serena Williams and Venus Williams have won the US Open women's doubles title twice before.

Serena Williams and Venus Williams will appear as a doubles team at a Grand Slam for one last time after they received a wildcard for the women's doubles tournament at the US Open.

The Williams sisters will be joining hands for the first time since the 2018 Roland Garros, where the sisters lost to Andreja Klepac and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in the third round.

The duo have been given the night session slot on Thursday, where they will face the all-Czech pairing of Linda Noskova and Lucie Hradecka.