Curt Serena misses chance at history

After double faulting to exit the US Open, Serena Williams immediately packed her bags, emphatically waved her index finger to the applauding crowd and rapidly exited Arthur Ashe Stadium.

For the second straight year, with history on the line, she’d fallen in the semifinals at Flushing Meadows.

In 2015, she’d been gunning for an incredible calendar-year Slam, only to be shocked by Roberta Vinci after a tense performance. Twelve months on, she was chasing a professional era-record 23rd major singles title and her 187th straight week at No.1.

Yet after losing to Grand Slam upstart Karolina Pliskova, a Czech who was appearing in her first ever major semifinal, Serena departed tied with Steffi Graf on 22 and 186, respectively.

As is customary after a loss at a major, Serena didn’t waste time before fronting the media.

Was she tired after her thrilling three-set quarterfinal victory 24 hours earlier against Simona Halep?

“I’m not going to repeat myself. I wasn’t tired from yesterday’s match. I’m a professional player; been playing for over 20 years. If I can’t turn around after 24 hours and play again then I shouldn’t be on tour,” she responded sharply.

“So I definitely wasn’t tired from yesterday’s match at all. It wasn’t a five-hour match. I have practiced three hours, so it wasn’t that huge of a deal.”

She did, however, reveal she was battling a knee injury.

“I have been having some serious left knee problems. I wasn’t tired. Fatigue had absolutely nothing to do with it. If I was tired I should definitely get into a new career,” she said.

“I wasn’t able to move the way I wanted to move. When you’re injured you’re thinking of other things when you should be just playing and thinking of your shots. My mind was just a little bit everywhere. But it was what it was.

“I think (I sustained it) like after the second or third round. I think it was the second round.

“I’m not downplaying anything. Karolina played great today. I think if she had played any less then maybe I would have had a chance. So I think I wasn’t at 100 per cent, but I also think she played well. She deserved to win today.”

That was pretty much all Williams was in the mood to chat about.

She refused to discuss her loss of the No.1 ranking, which Angelique Kerber will take over come Monday (Williams could have held on to top spot had she reached the final and Kerber had fallen in the semis, or if she had beaten the German in the final).

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Nor did she want to discuss her post-US Open playing schedule.

After last year’s her heart-breaking defeat to Vinci, Williams did not compete again in 2015, skipping all events in the Asian swing including the prestigious WTA Finals in Singapore. She has already qualified for Singapore in 2016.

Will we see Williams again in 2016? Only she knows that.

But what we all know if that for a player of with Serena’s stature, pride and competitiveness, this loss will hurt.