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sports Dialuna 29 augustus 2022

Serena Williams prepares to retire as US Open ends Slam year

NEW YORK (AP) — a fitting backdrop for a fare-
Thanks to Serena Wil- well, although Williams did
liams, this U.S. Open will not quite explicitly say that
be like none other. she would never compete
again after the U.S. Open
Whether or not it actually while telling the world via an
does turn out to be the final essay in Vogue magazine that
event of her lengthy, storied she was prepared to begin
and influential playing ca- "evolving away from tennis"
reer — and in professional to focus on having a second
tennis, perhaps more than child and pursuing her busi-
in any other sport, goodbyes ness interests.
sometimes end up being see-
you-agains — the two-week Every time she steps on court
hard-court tournament that in New York will be treat-
begins Monday at Flushing ed as if it might be the last
Meadows and wraps up the time. Even her practice ses-
2022 Grand Slam calendar sions have been attended by
will be, first and foremost, throngs of fans in the days
about Williams. prior to the tourament's start.

As long as she remains in the It will be only the fifth singles
field, at least. Williams faces match for Williams over the
Danka Kovinic, a 27-year- past 12 months, because the
old from Montenegro, in old Venus, the owner of seven Tennis Association to allow in her 2009 semifinal against American was off the tour
Arthur Ashe Stadium in the Slam singles titles herself and in-match coaching for wom- Kim Clijsters), groundbreak- from a first-round injury at
first round of singles Mon- Serena's partner for 14 major en and men at a Grand Slam ing fashion choices (a catsuit Wimbledon last year until
day night and also is entered doubles trophies — changed tournament for the first time in 2002; knee-high boots a first-round loss there this
in doubles with her sister, Ve- the game are varied and nu- from the chaotic 2018 U.S. two years later) and plenty year. Since returning from
nus. merous, and extend beyond Open final in which Wil- of triumphs, dating all the that hiatus, Williams is 1-3,
the way their speedy serves liams ended up being docked way back to 1999, when a including straight-set defeats
The focus on Williams is fit- and booming groundstrokes a game after being warned 17-year-old Williams beat against Tokyo Olympics gold
ting, because so much of the prompted, or even forced, about receiving instructions Martina Hingis for her initial medalist Belinda Bencic and
past two decades, and then other players to try to either from her then-coach, Patrick Grand Slam trophy. 2021 U.S. Open champion
some, of tennis, in general, match that style or figure out Mouratoglou, during a loss Emma Raducanu in her two
and at the U.S. Open, in how to try to counter it. to Osaka. So the Ashe court provides most recent outings.
particular, have been about
Williams, who turns 41 next Williams has said she doesn't The proliferation of electron-
month. There is that unmis- know how to define her ic line-calling, to the point
takable skill with a racket in legacy, but it is all around, that there are no line judges
hand and indiminishable whether embodied by play- at U.S. Open matches any-
drive to be the best that led to ers who credit her with being more, can be traced back to
23 major singles champion- an inspiration, such as four- a 2004 quarterfinal match at
ships, the No. 1 ranking and time major champion Nao- Flushing Meadows in which
Olympic gold medals, and mi Osaka or French Open multiple erroneous rulings
that transcendent, attention- runner-up Coco Gauff, or in went against Williams during
demanding quality that made rules changes that clearly, or a loss to Jennifer Capriati.
her a celebrity as much as a at least likely, are a product of
superstar athlete. episodes involving her. At the U.S. Open alone,
there were other run-ins
The ways in which Williams A line can be drawn to the with officials (who can for-
— and, to be sure, 42-year- decision this year by the U.S. get the foot-fault brouhaha

Lewandowski scores 2 again as Barcelona routs Valladolid

MADRID (AP) — With a calm. send the ball into the far cor- Pedri González and Sergi Roberto closed the scoring in
defender moving in front ner for a beautiful goal. Roberto also scored for Bar- stoppage time.
of him and blocking his The veteran striker patiently celona, which had opened
view inside the area, Rob- waited for a gap, then quickly Lewandowski continues to with a disappointing 0-0 Barcelona finally could count
ert Lewandowski stayed used his backheel to gently make scoring look easy after draw against Rayo Vallecano on new signing Jules Koundé,
joining Barcelona from Bay- at home. who had not been registered
ern Munich. Barcelona's top ahead of the first two rounds
signing this season found the The 34-year-old Lewan- because the club wasn't able
net twice on Sunday to lead dowski, signed from Bayern to abide with the league's fair
the Catalan club to a 4-0 rout for nearly $50 million, got on play regulations. The former
of Valladolid in the Spanish the board in the 24th minute Sevilla defender started in the
league. by completing a nice pass by right back position and im-
Raphinha, another one of pressed in his debut.
It was the fourth goal in three Barcelona new signings who
matches for Lewandowski, has been playing well. Valladolid, owned by former
who had also scored a dou- Brazil and Barcelona great
ble in the 4-1 win at Real Pedri added to the lead in the Ronaldo, is back in the first
Sociedad last weekend. He 43rd from near the penalty division after a one-year ab-
was also twice denied by the spot after an assist by Ous- sence. It was coming off a
woodwork at the Camp Nou mane Dembélé, who also set home loss against Villarreal
on Sunday. up Lewandowski's superb and a draw at Sevilla.
backheel goal in the 64th.