Momentum can shift so quickly during a tennis match. One minute you’re a set up and seemingly in control, and then from out of nowhere, your opponent reels off 15 straight points to close out the second set and begin the third.
With the momentum shifting to the other side of the net, how do you come back? This was the problem Serena Williams found herself facing against Justine Henin on Saturday night.
“Well, I just definitely stayed positive, and I had so many chances in the second. I had so many chances and I didn't capitalise on them,” Serena said after the 127-minute women’s singles final.
“So in the third, I knew I would have chances again just to capitalise on that one chance in that one moment.”
And she did. Williams won the final set 6-2 to claim her fifth Australian Open title at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday night.
“I feel amazing. I feel like it happened but it hasn't happened, so it's really kind of cool. I really am in the moment right now,” she said after the final.
The match began with an arm-wrestle that ended with the No.1 seed finally forcing Henin to yield 6-4, only to watch as the Belgian played her way back into the match, taking the second set 6-3. But it all came together for Williams in the final set.
“It was definitely a tough match mentally and physically. I felt like we both were out there trying to kind of prove something. I think we both did at the end of the day,” Williams said.
For Williams, the win means she has defended her 2009 title – she’s the first woman to go back-to-back in Melbourne since Jennifer Capriati in 2002 – and has tied with Billie Jean King on the all-time Grand Slam list with 12 majors.
“I feel really special that I was able to tie Billie Jean King. Because in my heart of hearts, I've been going for it and I haven't been able to quite achieve it ... It was good to tie her, but what I'm more enthused about is what she did off the court.”
Williams received a pre-match visit from King, her former Fed Cup coach, who was surprised at how heavily strapped Williams was going into the decider.
The world No.1 has been suffering from a hamstring strain, which she picked up in Sydney, a twisted ankle from her third-round match against Carla Suarez Navarro, and a sore wrist that resulted from a fall in the quarter-finals against Victoria Azarenka.
“I don't know any athlete who doesn't at any point play in pain. Even Justine was taped today ... That's the thing about being an athlete, you go and you play – you don't always play 100 per cent, and that's what makes it special.
“Even though I had all the strappings on me, I felt like I was moving well.”
But even with a shopping list of injuries and metres of bandages holding her body together, Williams still came out on top. She even managed to break her own record – only winning titles in Melbourne in odd years (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009).
“I was totally okay with winning every other year. So I don't know if I'm guaranteed to win next year or not. I don't know how I feel,” she smiled.
If Williams is to win next year, it’s possible that she will have to face Henin once more. The Belgian told the Rod Laver Arena crowd that she will be back next year after making a stunning return to the game earlier this year.
“She clearly hasn't like lost a step at all since she's been gone,” said Williams. “I think her game is definitely better. I mean, it was excellent before she left. But, you know, I think she's added a lot to it.
“She can go really far. As you saw today, she took me to the umpteenth level. So I feel like I played a girl who's been on the tour for the past five years without a break.”
And, like Henin, Williams will also be back, to defend her title. Hopefully fans will get to see these two add another chapter to their rivalry.
Watch the 2010 Australian Open live online at bet365 > Live Streaming Tennis