“Night and day,” we like to say when we want to emphasize the vast difference between two events. For Venus Williams on Tuesday, the phrase appeared to be a little too on the nose as she began her fourth-round match in Indian Wells.
The previous evening, Venus had been at her commanding best in defeating her sister Serena, 6-3, 6-4. She had served well, and hit her forehand better. Her big gold hoop earrings were the perfect finishing touch to a regal performance.
When Venus came out the next afternoon to face Anastasija Sevastova, though, it looked as if those earrings were the only thing that had made the trip with her. Her forehand lacked the same pop, her movement was sluggish, her velocity on her serve was down, and at 1-1 she double faulted on break point. Worse, Sevastova seemed to have just the right game to torment the still-recovering 37-year-old.
The Latvian sliced, she diced, she dinked, she carved and she dropped—until she had a point on the American’s serve to go up a double break at 4-1. But instead of chiseling another devastating drop shot, Sevastova sliced a routine backhand five feet wide. Insignificant as it appeared to be at the time, this was the opening Venus needed. When she held, new energy flowed into her body.
At 2-4, Venus found her first serve and held at love. At 3-4, she broke after knocking off a volley winner. Finally, at 4-4, Venus realized that she didn’t need to be ultra-aggressive to control the rallies against Sevastova. She could patiently work the point, knowing that her opponent couldn’t hurt her with pace. It was the same realization that Sloane Stephens made at the end of her quarterfinal with Sevastova at the US Open: Sevastova is a counterpuncher who doesn’t love to punch; if all else fails, force her to attack.
Williams vs. Sevastova match point and post-match interview: