Serena battles through after Sharapova chokes

YOU might think that after 19 Grand Slams and at an age when most players have retired, Serena Williams could, as she puts it, ‘run out of gas’. Not a bit of it, as she fought back yet again yesterday to place herself in pole position for a third French Open title after defending champion Maria Sharapova succumbed to her heavy cold and a feisty opponent. Williams heads an unfamiliar-looking women’s last eight after recovering from a set down for the third consecutive time to beat US compatriot Sloane Stephens 1-6, 7-5, 6-3. By the time she went on court, Williams already knew her main rival had gone — Sharapova falling 7-6, 6-4 to the unheralded Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic. Williams can be grateful that the tournament format allows her a day between matches as she has taken a scenic route thus far, dropping the first set to unknown Anna-Lena Friedsam in the second round, to Victoria Azarenka in the third and yesterday to Stephens. ‘I feel like I’m living on the edge, and I’ve got to get off the edge,’ said the American, who now meets Italian baseline scuffler Sara Errani. ‘I’m thinking: “OK Serena, pull yourself together”. Maybe I should go for a 5km run before I walk out there... do something to get the energy up for the first set.’ Ominously, she added: ‘I’m not worried about running out of gas. I’m 33, I’m not going to play another 10 years. I’ll keep going as hard as I can until I’m out.’ Sharapova has been struggling with the cough virus that has spread through Roland Garros. ‘This year my preparation started much later and I got into the groove a bit later,’ she said. ‘I had a great result in Rome in the Italian Open. Here was much shorter than I wanted it to be, but I don’t like to compare to other years. If I do that, it’s even more disappointing.’ Of her cough, she said: ‘It really makes no difference. I’m still a competitor.’ She drops to fourth in the world rankings and is assessing how best to prepare for Wimbledon. She is likely to play at least one grass-court event in the UK beforehand.