Venus shows she can still deliver
Defying age and illness, Williams reaches 39th Slam quarterfinal
NEW YORK — At age 37 and defying an energy-sapping disease, Venus Williams has pushed herself farther than she ever imagined to reach her 39th career Grand Slam quarterfinal at the US Open.
Williams, seeded ninth and seeking her eighth Grand Slam title and third US Open crown, defeated Spain’s 35thranked Carla Suarez Navarro 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 on Sunday.
The American booked a Tuesday fight for a semifinal spot against Czech 13th seed Petra Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon winner who defeated Spanish third seed and reigning Wimbledon champ Garbine Muguruza 7-6 (3), 6-3.
Kvitova still hasn’t quite regained full strength in her left hand, the one operated on after being slashed by an intruder at her home in the Czech Republic in December.
She is in the quarterfinals in New York for only the second time in 10 tournament appearances; the other such run came in 2015, when she lost to eventual champion Flavia Pennetta.
Williams, this year’s Wimbledon and Australian Open runner-up and the oldest woman in this year’s US Open draw, is only 1-4 against Kvitova, but she has grown accustomed to overcoming the odds.
In 2011, Williams was diagnosed with Sjogren’s disease, which leaves her weakened and pushed her into a vegan diet to combat the illness.
“Over time I’ve learned that I can push myself a lot further than I thought I could,” Williams said. “I do have to push myself a lot. I think that’s the biggest thing that I’ve learned.
“In the beginning, when everything is easy, you’re healthy, it’s easy to play when you don’t have those odds against you. But when you have the odds against you, it’s hard to find that in yourself every day.”
Over time I’ve learned that I can push myself a lot further than I thought I could.” Venus Williams,
Williams, 19-3 in majors this year, said she wasn’t sure how she was able to stay competitive over rivals who are sometimes half her age.
“I love the pressure and I need a challenge,” Williams said. “I don’t know how I sustain it. If I could do it. I would put it in a box and sell it.”
Williams said health, fitness, skill and love for the competition all play a role.
“You do have to have a love because it’s a lot of work,” she said. “There are sacrifices you make with your family, your loved ones — just doing normal things like sitting on your own couch that are taken for granted. You have to have the love to deal with the pressure as well.”
Playing for 20 years at the US Open and winning five Wimbledon crowns has made her a target the moment she steps on the court.
“It’s never easy to win a Slam. Now I’ll play players who I’ve never seen or know their name and you can’t let up for even one point,” Williams said.
“Players come out with a lot more confidence now. Every time I step out on the court, that person is coming for me. It doesn’t matter if I played for a year, not even if I’m ranked No 100, they’re coming for me. When I get to these majors, I know that’s what it is.
“They’re playing well. They’re not going to give you any matches. If they do, I will accept it as well if they don’t play as well as they want. I’m accepting all unforced errors.”
Williams could return to the world top five for the first time since January 2011 if she beats Kvitova and will reach world No 2 if she takes the title, although she hasn’t played three Slam finals in a year since 2002.
Her win also kept alive host-nation hopes for an allAmerican US Open women’s semis, with Sloane Stephens, Jennifer Brady and Madison Keys also in contention.