Today, women's No. 1 Serena Williams will face off against the 2012 French Open runner-up, No. 5 Sara Errani, for the opportunity to advance to the French Open final. Live stream the action by clicking this link.
Serena Williams' run through the 2013 French Open has been dominant; her quarterfinal matchup with Svetlana Kuznetsova was the first time she even dropped a set.
After taking the first set from Kuznetsova, Williams fell 3-6 in the second set, and faced the prospect of elimination in her fifth straight Roland Garros quarterfinal. Williams pulled herself together, though, defeating both Kuznetsova and strong, recent history. During the second and third sets, Williams told reporters, "I thought, you know, 'Can't go out like this again.' "
Kuznetsova partially blamed a strained abdomen muscle suffered early in the match that she claimed robbed her of her serving power. "I did push her to the limit, I think, today, even without my serve," Kuznetsova said. "I was serving like, I don't know, a grandmother." She also credited Williams' competitiveness and drive, saying she is an "unbelievable competitor. She turns on (her) game when she needs it."
The Italian, Errani, is no slouch despite not carrying the name recognition of Serena Williams. She lost to Maria Sharapova in last year's final. Errani, though, is fully aware of the problems Williams presents. "Unbelievable competitor," Kuznetsova said. "She turns on (her) game when she needs it."
"She forces you to play at a very high level to have any chance of winning. I'll have to hit shots hard and deep and make her move," Errani said. "As soon as you hit a short ball, Serena gets right on top of you, and she has enough power to end the point."
Williams is 5-0 in her career against Errani, who is a woeful 0-28 against opponents ranked in the top five.
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