Serena Williams is coming off an impressive victory over reigning world No. 1 Simona Halep, who forced her to elevate her level like no one else has so far this fortnight in Melbourne.
MORE: Serena digs in to see off Halep
The quality of the contest between Halep and Williams reached incredible heights in the third set, and it was almost a shame that it was a fourth-round encounter and not a final.
“What an incredible match between @serenawilliams vs @Simona_Halep. Worthy of a Grand Slam final. Such quality and drama. Locked 3/3 in third,” tweeted former US Open finalist Greg Rusedski.
“Amazing level from @serenawilliams and @Simona_Halep right now!!” posted Croatian world No. 29 Donna Vekic.
The millions watching were all in awe, but Williams was far more reserved when asked to assess her level.
“I think overall I'm hanging in there,” the 23-time Grand Slam champion said after her win on Monday.
“I think overall I'm solid. I can definitely go to a new level. I have to if I want to stay in the tournament.”
Just 10 months into her return from maternity leave, Williams, the No. 16 seed, will be trying to reach a third consecutive Grand Slam semifinal when she takes on Karolina Pliskova on Wednesday.
Through her first three matches in Melbourne, the 37-year-old American dropped just nine games in total before overcoming Halep in three sets.
Although Williams is famous for her devastating serve, it’s her return game that has stood out so far this fortnight, as she leads the tournament in percentage of return games won through the first four rounds (58 per cent). Her 18 return winners place her third on the leaderboard among all players in the women’s draw before the start of the quarterfinals.
“She's a great returner, and it's always tough to see her so close to the baseline and feel the pressure a little bit,” said Halep of Williams on Monday night.
Williams has been successful in 86 per cent of her service games, dropping serve five times, and leads the quarterfinalists in points won on her first serve (80 per cent).
The seven-time Australian Open champion has already had strong results at the Slams since her return to action last March, but she defeated just one top-10 player on her way to the Wimbledon and US Open finals in 2018. The victory over top-seeded Halep here is the best preparation for what is to come next for Williams, who has a tough path ahead if she plans on clinching that elusive all-time record 24th Grand Slam title.
“I think her win against Halep was, I think, the most convincing win she’s had since she’s come back from maternity leave,” said New York Times contributor Ben Rothenberg.
“Because even though she made two Grand Slam finals last year, she wasn’t necessarily pushed by the top players along the way. And so that was a very big win for her. It’s like taking the best punch the WTA can throw at her, and she passed that test.
“So that’s big for her. She has her work cut out for her the rest of the way, she plays two more top-10 players in her next matches – Pliskova and then either [Naomi] Osaka or [Elina] Svitolina. So it won’t be easy, and it’s going to be a steeper road than it was either of the last two times she made the final.”
Williams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou believes she needed that tough battle against Halep. He admits that the American wasn’t ready physically at the start of her comeback last year, so soon after having her first child Olympia.
When asked if the match against Halep was the best he’s seen Williams since her return, the French coach said that this tournament overall is the best he’s seen her since she came back.
“Now she's ready physically. I think emotionally too, because it's a big change in anyone's life to have a baby and you need to get used to a new life, and it took a bit of time. But I feel now she's back to being Serena on both the physical and emotional side. So I think her level is good,” said Mouratoglou.
Halep is one of the best movers on tour, and she also forces her opponents to run. The showdown with Pliskova will be a completely different story, with both the Czech and Williams sporting big serves and relying heavily on first-strike tennis.
“She’s competing well. Movement didn’t always look great against Halep, but Halep is great at moving people around the court. And if Serena was able to protect her move and anticipate well enough to survive Halep, it could be a very good sign for her. But we’ll see,” said Rothenberg.
Williams may sound a bit cautious when assessing her own game, but Mouratoglou is not.
“I think she will win,” he says confidently about her title prospects.