Fendrich on Tennis: 'Bienvenue a Paris,' Serena Williams

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Fendrich on Tennis: 'Bienvenue a Paris,' Serena Williams

2019-05-20 23:52 Last Updated At：05-21 00:00

Welcome back to Paris, Serena Williams. The tennis world can't wait to find out exactly how that bothersome left knee is holding up.

Williams practiced at the French Open's redesigned main stadium on Monday — alas, Court Philippe Chatrier's retractable roof won't be ready until next year — and will want to get some more work in over the coming days, given how little she's played on clay courts lately.

As in: a total of just one match on the surface since last year's tournament at Roland Garros. Forever, it seems, Williams has been the woman to beat on the Grand Slam stage, provided she is in the field and is healthy. No one really knows this time just how ready she is.

"We just don't know her physical status at this point," 18-time major champion Chris Evert said in a telephone interview. "She relies so much on the physicality of her game and her movement and her sprinting and just her court coverage and setting up those big shots. Her legs are vital to her game. I don't know if we've seen her 100 percent since the beginning of the year."

With the French Open set to start Sunday, the 10th-ranked Williams has played only nine matches in 2019.

Five were at the Australian Open in January, when she lost to Karolina Pliskova in the quarterfinals after blowing a 5-1, 40-30 lead in the third set and four match points in all.

She retired from a match at Indian Wells, citing an illness, then withdrew from tournaments in Miami and Rome, citing her knee.

"I haven't played a ton of matches this year. Not my choice; just by force," Williams said after her lone clay appearance, an opening victory at the Italian Open before she pulled out ahead of what would have been a match against her older sister, Venus. "I really, really actually desperately wanted to be on the tour and to be playing, but it hasn't been able to work out."

The red clay used in Paris never has been the most natural surface for success for Williams, in part because it slows down her massive serves and groundstrokes that earn so many quick points on grass or hard courts.

"Remember, she hits the ball very early and very flat. So if she doesn't have control of her body, many errors will come," International Tennis Hall of Fame coach Nick Bollettieri said, "because she's not going to push a ball."

Still, it's a testament to her greatness that Williams did manage to win three titles in France, part of her haul of 23 Grand Slam singles trophies. That's a record in the professional era, which began in 1968, and one shy of Margaret Court's all-time mark.

"She takes great pride in Grand Slams and her lead-in has not been up to her high standards," Evert said. "It's all about the knee, which has been nagging her. It is a concern, especially now on the clay, where you've got to move more to win a point. You use your legs, your knees, more than on any other surface."

Here's the thing: Williams is not just any player, of course.

After 16 months away from Grand Slam competition because of her pregnancy and the birth of her daughter in September 2017, Williams showed up in Paris a year ago and looked to be approaching the height of her powers right away. She knocked off a pair of seeded women to set up a showdown against Maria Sharapova in the fourth round, but then pulled out because of a chest muscle injury.

Williams would go on to reach the finals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open before coming up just short of her 24th major trophy each time.

That showed what she's still capable of doing, even without much prep work.

"Serena's always — always — someone that you're thinking about in the draw. Whenever she's there, she can win any tournament that she plays," said 14th-ranked Madison Keys, the 2017 U.S. Open runner-up and a semifinalist in Paris in 2018. "She played a handful of tournaments last year and made the finals of, what, at least two Grand Slams? So Serena's Serena, and there's a reason that she has so many titles to her name."

So can Williams go to the French Open and contend, despite the lack of action? Keys' response: "100 percent."

AP Sports Writer Andrew Dampf in Rome contributed.

Howard Fendrich covers tennis for The Associated Press. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich or write to him at hfendrich@ap.org

More AP Tennis: https://www.apnews.com/apf-Tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Man United in crisis: transfers, tactics and takeover helped lead up to 4-0 humiliation at Palace

2024-05-07 21:38 Last Updated At：23:51

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — A bad season just keeps on getting worse for Manchester United.

The 20-time English champion was routed 4-0 by Crystal Palace on Monday and faces the prospect of its lowest finish in the Premier League era, as well as a season without European soccer.

Champions League qualification was already beyond Erik ten Hag's troubled team before its latest defeat. Now, sitting eighth in the standings, even the third-tier Conference League could end up out of reach.

On current form, United might need to beat Manchester City in this month's FA Cup final to secure a place in the Europa League. On current form, there is little chance of that happening.

One of the world's most storied clubs is in a mess and the humiliation at the hands of Palace was the latest evidence of that.

A record of 13 league defeats is the most United has suffered in a Premier League campaign. In all competitions that number rises to 18, including four losses in six games as United crashed out of the Champions League at the group stage.

Ten Hag's team has conceded 81 goals in all competitions, which is the most since 1976-77.

According to stats company Opta, United has also spent more time in a losing position in league games this season than a winning one.

Its only win in its last seven league games was against last-placed Sheffield United.

United's lowest finish in the Premier League era — which it long dominated, winning 13 titles under former manager Alex Ferguson — was seventh under David Moyes in 2013-14.

Here are some of the reasons behind United's fall this season.

INJURIES

United's substitutes' bench against Palace included six teenagers and two goalkeepers, such is the level of the injury crisis which has gripped Ten Hag's team. Jonny Evans, the veteran 36-year-old center back, was rushed back from injury to cover for the absent Harry Maguire and midfielder Casemiro had to play as a makeshift defender.

It has been the story of United's season with key players ruled out for long periods, including Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez, Mason Mount, Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford.

Yet United is not the only team to suffer from injuries, with Liverpool and Newcastle also seeing their squads decimated by absences.

Even Ten Hag accepted there was no excuse for Monday's performance.

“The players who were available should do better. It’s a deserved defeat,” he said.

TACTICS

Last season United had one of the meanest defenses in the Premier League, with only treble-winning City and Newcastle conceding fewer goals.

It's been a very different story in Ten Hag's second season in charge, with the openness of his team a consistent problem.

To compound the issue, United has found goals hard to come by at the other end of the field. A total of 52 scored is the joint lowest in the top half of the standings, level with 10th-place Bournemouth. Luton — which is in the relegation zone — has scored 49.

United is too open in midfield, too fragile in defense and not potent enough in attack. And it falls on Ten Hag to come up with the solutions.

TRANSFERS

United's recruitment record simply hasn't been good enough since Ferguson retired in 2013, with the club spending billions of dollars on players who have failed to live up to their reputations.

Ten Hag cannot be held responsible for what went before him, but there are question marks over the players signed on his watch.

The $95 million spent on Antony has not provided the sort of return fans would have expected, with the Brazil winger struggling to adapt to the English topflight.

Casemiro, who looked out of his depth at Palace — albeit out of position in defense — appears to be past his best at 32 and a shadow of the player who dominated midfield for Real Madrid.

Mount and Martinez have both been injury prone, while goalkeeper Andre Onana has made a slew of costly blunders.

After two summer windows, Ten Hag's signings haven't been able to lift the level of the squad significantly.

SQUAD QUALITY

It has been reported that United is willing to listen to offers for the majority of its players in the offseason, with notable exceptions including Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho.

That speaks volumes about the changes required to transform the squad and the tight financial restraints on the club if it is to operate within the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules.

With defender Raphael Varane and forward Anthony Martial out of contract at the end of the season, there will be two key areas United needs to strengthen in, even before sales.

OWNERSHIP UPHEAVAL

Ten Hag has been left in limbo while new co-owner Jim Ratcliffe completed his minority investment.

For much of his time in charge, he has been uncertain about who he would ultimately answer to, with the Glazer family listening to offers to sell the club and British billionaire Ratcliffe competing with Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani over a buyout.

It was anticipated that a deal would be concluded in time for last year's summer transfer window when United was on the back of a third-place finish in the league and success in the English League Cup.

Instead the wait went on until Ratcliffe eventually secured what will be a 27.7% minority stake and assumed control of soccer operations.

Off the field, changes have been happening at pace with new directors, a new chief executive and technical director hired. Newcastle's Dan Ashworth is wanted as sporting director, while former football director John Murtough, who worked closely with Ten Hag, has departed.

In other words there has been a lot of upheaval behind the scenes, which has coincided with the team's alarming slump on the field.

New technical director Jason Wilcox has been assessing United's operations since assuming his role last month. In that time he has seen his new club blow a 3-0 lead and need penalties to beat second tier Coventry in the FA Cup semifinals, draw at home against relegation struggler Burnley and get routed by Palace.

The only win he has seen in regulation time was at home to Sheffield United after twice going behind to a team that was relegated later that week.

James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson