Serena Williams vs. Anett Kontaveit: Preview, TV Info for US Open 2nd-Round Matchup

Joseph ZuckerAug 31, 2022

The Serena Williams Retirement Tour will carry on for at least one more night at the 2022 U.S. Open.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion took down Danka Kovinic in straight sets to begin what many believe to be her final competitive tournament. Her reward for that is a date with Anett Kontaveit, the No. 2 seed in the women's singles draw.

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Match Info

When: Wednesday, Aug. 31, at 7 p.m. ET

TV Info: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN+

Kontaveit didn't have a great run-up to the U.S. Open. She lost her first match at the National Bank Open and then fell to unranked Shuai Zhang in the third round of the Western & Southern Open.

But the 26-year-old didn't break much of a sweat in New York City in the first round against Jaqueline Cristian.

Kontaveit's 20 winners were double that of her opponent, and she won 85 percent of her first serve points.

In order to pull off the upset, Williams will have to be sharper than she was against Kovinic.

The 40-year-old showed she still has some of the overwhelming power and precision that helped make her one of the greatest tennis players ever. She had nine aces and 23 winners. But her six double faults and 25 unforced errors will be troublesome when she plays a much tougher opponent.

Arthur Ashe Stadium was electric Monday night, and while the crowd won't be openly hostile toward Kontaveit, the fans will clearly be pulling for Williams.

"The reception was really overwhelming," she said following her first-round victory. "It was loud and I could feel it in my chest. It was a really good feeling. It's a feeling I'll never forget, so I really—yeah, that meant a lot to me."

In addition to the clear home-court advantage she'll enjoy, there's also the fact that she should find a groove with the more she plays.

Since Wimbledon last year, Williams has played five competitive matches. Even a player who's in their athletic prime would struggle with rust when competing so infrequently, and the process is only more difficult when you're in the twilight of your career.

Nobody will be expecting to see peak-Serena on Wednesday, but maybe she can find enough to seal a berth in the third round.

In the event Kontaveit spoils the occasion, fans won't be seeing the last of Williams in Flushing Meadows. She teams with sister Venus on Thursday in the opening round of the women's doubles.