Serena Williams finally dropped a set at this French Open but the quality of her retaliation against her toughest opponent yet, the unseeded former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, suggested she is still a firm favourite to win the title.
And she is doing it on chocolate, she revealed. “I guess I’m pretty fit,” she said after her 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win on Court Suzanne Lenglen yesterday. “I had some chocolate yesterday . . . and the day before, and the day before, and the day before. I usually don’t like chocolate. For whatever reason I wanted some chocolate with caramel. Then I wanted a macaroon. That’s my weakness, macaroons. And I love chips.”
So the 31-year-old Williams, the oldest world No1 in the recorded era, continues to defy convention and opponents, although she had to fight hard in a compelling quarter-final against the 2009 champion, to whom she lost that year at the same stage.
Williams next plays the vastly improved Italian Sara Errani, whose 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) win over Agnieszka Radwanska was in the balance until the tie-break.
Not that the chocolate-fuelled Williams had a cakewalk against Kuznetsova. All through the first week the Russian had that determined look about her – and she brought out the best in Williams when it mattered, coming close to making her crack in the second set, when she led 4-0 courtesy of some blistering forehands. Williams admitted that defeat briefly crossed her mind. “But I didn’t have time to dwell on it because it was in the moment, and I couldn’t think negative. I was so determined to get through that.”
Williams, who also had to come back from 2-0 down in the third, could not hide her relief and exultation when she forced a final error from her excellent opponent. “I was really excited I was able to win such a tough match,” she said.
As for Errani, who has just broken into the top five in the world, Williams said: “You’ve got to appreciate how consistent she is. We had a pretty tough match in Madrid, and I’m glad I played her there because I know she’s here to compete. She’s so serious.”
Well, you would hope so. And there is a grit about Errani, one of the smaller players on the tour. Her toughness under pressure and willingness to chase down lost causes helped her through the artful challenge of Radwanska, who has not quite delivered on her promise this summer.
Today the 12th seed, Maria Kirilenko plays the third seed, Victoria Azarenka, who should win handily, and Maria Sharapova, the second seed, meets Jelena Jankovic, the 18th seed, who has surprised a few people here.
Britain's Laura Robson, who went out here in the first round, last night announced that she was taking on Miles Maclagan as her latest coach, in the wake of her untidy split with the tough Croat Zeljko Krajan just before the Madrid tournament last month. Maclagan, 38, coached Andy Murray for two and a half years.
Guardian Service
