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2006 Serena Williams tennis season

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2006 Serena Williams tennis season
Serena Williams at the Australian Open
Full nameSerena Jameka Williams
Country United States
Calendar prize money131,705
Singles
Season record12–4 (75%)
Calendar titles0
Year-end ranking95
Ranking change from previous yearDecrease 84
Grand Slam & significant results
Australian Open3R
French OpenA
WimbledonA
US Open4R

Serena Williams's 2006 tennis season was hampered by injury, She was only able to play 4 tournaments and was outside of the top 100 for the first time since 1997.

Year summary

Australian Open

"All I could think was that I so didn't want to be there, at just that moment. On the court. In Melbourne. Fighting for points I didn't really care about, in a match I didn't really care about. So what did I do? I cried. Right there on court... It started during one of the changeovers, but it continued when I went back out to play, an it was such a low, desparing, desperate moment for me. I don't know how I managed to keep playing, but I kept playing, because that's just what I did."

Williams in her biography talking about her meltdown on court.[1]

Williams did not have any preparation into defending her title at the Australian Open. Williams faced China's Li Na and won in three sets dropping the second set in a tie-break, but winning the first and third set comfortably. In the second round she defeated Frenchwoman Camille Pin dropping just four games. Williams then faced Daniela Hantuchová in the round of 32. Williams dropped the first set by winning only a single game. In the second set Williams saved three match points in the twelfth game to push it to a tie-break. Hantuchová took the tie-break on her fifth match point. The loss meant that Williams will drop outside of the top 40 since entering it in 1998.[2]

Early hard courts, clay court and grass season

She then withdrew from tournaments in Tokyo (citing her lack of fitness)[3] and Dubai and from the Tier I NASDAQ-100 Open in Key Biscayne (citing a knee injury and lack of fitness).[4] On April 10, her ranking fell out of the top 100 for the first time since November 16, 1997. Shortly after, she announced that she would miss both the French Open and Wimbledon because of a chronic knee injury. She said that she would not be able to compete before "the end of the summer", on doctor's orders.[5]

US Open Series

Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open

Williams came back ranked no. 139 at the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open and faced world no. 11 Anastasia Myskina, she won easily losing only four games.[6] She then faced Bethanie Mattek in the next round and won, once again just dropping four games. The following round, Williams defeated compatriot Amy Frazier, once again losing only four games for the third match in a row. In the semifinals, she took on Russian Vera Zvonareva and fell in straight sets.[7]

JPMorgan Chase Open

In her only third tournament of the year, she played the JPMorgan Chase Open. She cruised pass through her first two matches Maria Kirilenko and Ashley Harkleroad winning in straight sets. In the third round she faced Daniela Hantuchová and lost the first set winning only a game. However, Williams came back winning the next two at three.[8] In the quarterfinals, Williams faced compatriot Meghann Shaughnessy, the first set went to a tie-breaker, which Shaughnessy won. However, Williams came back and won the next two sets easily.[9] Williams then faced Jelena Janković in the semifinals. Janković broke Williams in tenth game of the first set to take the set. Janković took control of the second set by breaking Williams in the fourth game and that paved way for Janković to advance to the final.[10]

US Open

Williams was unable to enter US Open as a direct entry, but received a wildcard.[11] Williams began her Open against Spaniard Lourdes Domínguez Lino and quickly dispatched the 41 ranked player in straight sets.[12] For the third time in four tournaments Williams has played, she once again faced Daniela Hantuchová, Hantuchová served for the first set in the ninth game, but Williams pegged her back, breaking and winning the next three games. Williams then took the second set to advance.[13] Williams then faced a young up-and-comer in Ana Ivanovic and cruised through with a straight set win to become the first wildcard entry to advance to the round of 16.[14] In the fourth round, Williams faced top seed Amelie Mauresmo. Mauresmo took the first set with a single break, however in the second set Williams came back winning it in a bagel. In the final set Mauresmo broke in the fifth game of the third set and won the last three games to advance.[15]

All matches

Singles matches

Tournament Match Round Opponent Rank Result Score
Australian Open
Melbourne, Australia
Grand Slam
Hard, outdoor
16–29 January 2006 		372 1R China Li Na #52 Win 6–3, 6–7(5–7), 6–2
373 2R France Camille Pin #130 Win 6–3, 6–1
374 3R Slovakia Daniela Hantuchová #17 Loss 1–6, 6–7(5–7)
Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open
Cincinnati, United States
WTA Tier III
Hard
17–23 July 2006 		375 1R Russia Anastasia Myskina #11 Win 6–2, 6–2
376 2R United States Bethanie Mattek-Sands #105 Win 6–3, 6–1
377 QF United States Amy Frazier #56 Win 6–2, 6–2
378 SF Russia Vera Zvonareva 50 Loss 2–6, 3–6
JPMorgan Chase Open
Los Angeles, United States
WTA Tier II
Hard
7–13 August 2006 		379 1R Russia Maria Kirilenko #21 Win 6–2, 6–1
380 2R United States Ashley Harkleroad #102 Win 6–3, 6–2
381 3R Slovakia Daniela Hantuchová #17 Win 1–6, 6–3, 6–3
382 QF United States Meghann Shaughnessy #77 Win 6–7(7–9), 6–1, 6–4
383 SF Serbia Jelena Janković #28 Loss 4–6, 3–6
US Open
New York City, United States
Grand Slam
Hard, outdoor
28 August - 10 September 2006 		384 1R Spain Lourdes Domínguez Lino #41 Win 6–1, 6–2
385 2R Slovakia Daniela Hantuchová #18 Win 7–5, 6–3
386 3R Serbia Ana Ivanovic #17 Win 6–2, 6–4
387 4R France Amelie Mauresmo #1 Loss 4–6, 6–0, 2–6

Tournament schedule

Singles schedule

Williams' 2006 singles tournament schedule is as follows:

Date Championship Location Category Surface Points Outcome
16 January 2006 –
29 January 2006		 Australian Open Melbourne (AUS) Grand Slam Hard 62 Third Round
lost to Daniela Hantuchová 1–6, 6–7(5–7)
17 July 2006 –
23 July 2006		 Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open Cincinnati (USA) WTA Tier III Hard 55 Semifinals
lost to Vera Zvonareva 2–6, 3–6
7 August 2006 –
13 August 2006		 JPMorgan Chase Open Los Angeles (USA) WTA Tier II Hard 88 Semifinals
lost to Jelena Janković, 4–6, 3–6
28 August 2006 –
10 September 2006		 US Open New York (USA) Grand Slam Hard 96 Fourth Round
lost to Amelie Mauresmo, 6–4, 0–6, 6–2
Total year-end points 301

Yearly records

Head–to–head matchups

Ordered by percentage of wins

Earnings

# Event Prize money Year-to-date
1 Australian Open $32,483 $32,483
2 Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open $7,700 $40,183
3 JPMorgan Chase Open $25,060 $65,243
4 US Open $66,462 $131,705
$131,705

Figures in United States dollars (USD) unless noted.

See also

References

  1. ^ Williams, Serena; Paisner, Daniel (2009). "Change it up". My Life:Queen of the Court. Pocket Books. pp. 174–175.
  2. ^ "Rust and Hantuchova Catch Up to Serena Williams". New York Times. 21 January 2006.
  3. ^ "Serena & Davenport to miss Tokyo". BBC News. January 27, 2006. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  4. ^ "Injured Serena pulls out of Miami". BBC News. March 17, 2006. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  5. ^ "Serena targets late-summer return". BBC News. May 3, 2006. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  6. ^ "SERENA WILLIAMS RETURNS". New York Times. 26 July 2006.
  7. ^ "Zvonareva beats Srebotnik to lift Cincinnati title". Rediff. 24 July 2006.
  8. ^ "Nadal's Loss Ends Hopes of Final Against Federer". Reuters. 11 August 2006.
  9. ^ "TENNIS: ROUNDUP; Resurgent Serena Williams Advances at JP Morgan". New York Times. 12 August 2006.
  10. ^ "Final Eludes Sharapova and Williams". Reuters. 23 August 2006.
  11. ^ "Wrist Injury May Keep Clijsters Out of Open". New York Times. 17 August 2006.
  12. ^ "No Rain, No Upsets, Little Suspense. Just Top-Seeded Players Playing Well". New York Times. 31 August 2006.
  13. ^ "Triumphant Serena Williams Savors Her Role as an Underdog". New York Times. 1 September 2006.
  14. ^ "Davenport, Prepared for Own Goodbye, Extends Her Stay". New York Times. 4 September 2006.
  15. ^ "Mauresmo beats Serena to advance to U.S. Open quarterfinals". Yahoo. 5 September 2006.
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