Serena Williams can’t help but bring drama to the French Open. This year, though, it’s happening late.
Twelve months ago — struck by illness — Williams looked close to making an exit in nearly each of her six matches prior to the final. Five of her seven encounters — including the final — went the maximum three sets.
On Thursday, physical issues appeared to surface against the fiery Yulia Putintseva and they continued in the semifinals on Friday. The world No. 1 overcame them, however, to defeat the unseeded Kiki Bertens 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 and move within one match of a record-tying 22nd grand slam.
History beckons again for Novak Djokovic, who eased past young Austrian Dominic Thiem 6-2 6-1 6-4 to land in a 20th grand slam final and sixth straight. The French Open would complete his grand slam set.
The first set, in particular, proved to be great theater between Williams and Bertens. A shame that Philippe Chatrier court was about one-fifth full — if not less — when the tussle started at 1 p.m. local time (1100 GMT).
Her opponent Saturday is a familiar one: Garbine Muguruza, who had no trouble dispatching 2010 French Open finalist Samantha Stosur 6-2 6-4 on the Suzanne Lenglen court — which was also initially sparse despite a bargain 20 euros ($22) offer going.
It was Muguruza who was on the other side of the net when Williams claimed her 21st grand slam title at Wimbledon last year, and the Spaniard upset Serena at Roland Garros in 2014.
Williams, who suffered back-to-back upsets at the U.S. Open and Australian Open — losses that dented her aura of invincibility — will be battling to regain her grand slam winning form and finally match Steffi Graf’s mark achieved in 1999.
The incessant rain in Paris forced the women’s semifinals to be contested Friday instead of the usual Thursday. And rather than both men’s semfinals taking place on center court, Djokovic and Thiem were given a date on Lenglen.
Instead, defending champion Stan Wawrinka and second-seed Andy Murray benefited from top billing on center.
There were whispers that Williams carried an adductor injury — affecting the hip and thigh — into her semifinal, a theory given more credence when the 34-year-old turned up two hours late to her mandatory post-match press conference Thursday.
Williams insisted she was fine, but her outing against Putintseva suggested otherwise. Her movement, especially in the opening set, was labored, and she seemed similarly constrained against Bertens in the infancy of the match.
The unseeded Bertens, who missed out on becoming the first Dutch woman to reach a grand slam final since Betty Stove at Wimbledon in 1977, had her own health issues to contend with.
Bertens needed a medical timeout for a left calf injury Thursday before downing 2015 semifinalist Timea Bacsinszky. Pre-match chatter hinted that a withdrawal on the biggest day of her career was a possibility.
But the 58th-ranked player in the world has withstood more threatening health scares in the past. In 2014, Bertens thought she had cancer after being diagnosed with a lump on her thyroid gland. Although she eventually tested negative, the 24-year-old endured sleepless nights for a year due to the anxiety and couldn’t train properly.
When Bertens faced Williams at the U.S. Open last August, she failed to take her chances in the opening set, leading to a predictable second-set collapse. It was more the same story that unfolded on the red clay on Friday.
With a lethargic Williams trailing 3-1, Bertens earned three break points for a chance at a double-break lead, but failed to capitalize. On the second, with Williams flat-footed and stranded at the back of the court, Bertens’ forehand return sailed just long.
A fleeting set point was also lost on the Williams serve at 5-3, with Bertens snatching at a forehand that crashed into the net.
In the ensuing game, with Bertens serving at 30-15, Williams got some luck: Her return hit the net and dropped over for a net-cord winner.
Bertens — who was up 4-0 in their tiebreak at last year’ U.S. Open, only to blow her lead — might have thought it was time to repay the favor. From 5-2 down in the first-set tiebreak, Bertens rallied to 5-5.
Williams even hooked two volleys into the net to hand Bertens a 7-6 advantage, but again, the Dutch’s forehand misfired. Williams closed out the tiebreak, and despite Bertens early 2-0 lead in the second set, one sensed this one wouldn’t go to three.
In the other side of the draw, Muguruza became the first Spanish woman to make the final in Paris since her Fed Cup captain, Conchita Martinez, in 2000.
Another Spaniard has, of course, done fairly well in the men’s competition at Roland Garros over the past decade: Rafael Nadal. It remains to be seen whether some of the nine-time French Open winner’s magic will rub off on his compatriot come Saturday.