USA's Serena Williams admits to struggle due to recent ankle injury despite thrashing Japanese qualifier Kurumi Nara 6-3, 6-2 to cruise into third round
Serena Williams during her French Open second round match against Japan's Kurumi Nara in Paris yesterday. Pic/Getty Images
Paris: Serena Williams said that everything feels harder after her recent injury troubles despite thrashing Japanese qualifier Kurumi Nara to step up her bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title.
Yesterday, Williams, 37, cruised into the third round with a 6-3, 6-2 victory on Court Philippe Chatrier. She had played only four matches heading into Roland Garros since collapsing to defeat late on in the Australian Open quarter-finals against Karolina Pliskova earlier this year.
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"I have had a tough year since I twisted my ankle in Australia," said Williams. "It's just been really tough after that. So everything definitely feels a little bit harder than normal, but at the same time, I know that it's going to get better." Williams will face Sofia Kenin for a Last-16 spot, after her fellow American received a walkover.
Toilet break helps Osaka
Top seed Naomi Osaka admitted that a 10-minute toilet break by Victoria Azarenka helped her to a second successive great escape. The Japanese star, bidding to add the French Open to her US and Australian Open titles, battled back from a set and a break down to defeat Azarenka 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Both players left Court Suzanne Lenglen before the start of the third set for toilet breaks. Osaka returned quickly but former world number one and two-time major winner Azarenka disappeared for close on to 11 minutes. While Osaka, 21, bided her time, many observers wondered if the lengthy delay was a deliberate act of gamesmanship. If it was, it backfired. "When I went to the bathroom to change, I was freaking out, because I didn't want to get a code violation," explained Osaka.
Nervous moment for Naomi
"So I was, like, rushing and stuff. And then I came back and saw that she wasn't back. That kind of just relaxed me. I was in such a rush changing, my hands were shaking during that entire time. So when I came back and saw she wasn't back, I just had a little bit of time to calm down and think about what I really wanted to do during the set. So, for me, I was fine."
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