2006 Serena Williams tennis season

2006 Serena Williams tennis season
	Serena Williams at the Australian Open
Full name	Serena Jameka Williams
Country	United States
Calendar prize money	131,705
Singles
Season record	12–4 (75%)
Calendar titles	0
Year-end ranking	95
Ranking change from previous year	84
Grand Slam & significant results
Australian Open	3R
French Open	A
Wimbledon	A
US Open	4R

Serena Williams's 2006 tennis season was hampered by injury, She was only able to play 4 tournaments and was outside of the top 100 for the first time since 1997.

Year summary

Australian Open

"All I could think was that I so didn't want to be there, at just that moment. On the court. In Melbourne. Fighting for points I didn't really care about, in a match I didn't really care about. So what did I do? I cried. Right there on court... It started during one of the changeovers, but it continued when I went back out to play, an it was such a low, desparing, desperate moment for me. I don't know how I managed to keep playing, but I kept playing, because that's just what I did."

Williams in her biography talking about her meltdown on court.^[1]

Williams did not have any preparation into defending her title at the Australian Open. Williams faced China's Li Na and won in three sets dropping the second set in a tie-break, but winning the first and third set comfortably. In the second round she defeated Frenchwoman Camille Pin dropping just four games. Williams then faced Daniela Hantuchová in the round of 32. Williams dropped the first set by winning only a single game. In the second set Williams saved three match points in the twelfth game to push it to a tie-break. Hantuchová took the tie-break on her fifth match point. The loss meant that Williams will drop outside of the top 40 since entering it in 1998.^[2]

Early hard courts, clay court and grass season

She then withdrew from tournaments in Tokyo (citing her lack of fitness)^[3] and Dubai and from the Tier I NASDAQ-100 Open in Key Biscayne (citing a knee injury and lack of fitness).^[4] On April 10, her ranking fell out of the top 100 for the first time since November 16, 1997. Shortly after, she announced that she would miss both the French Open and Wimbledon because of a chronic knee injury. She said that she would not be able to compete before "the end of the summer", on doctor's orders.^[5]

US Open Series

Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open

Williams came back ranked no. 139 at the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open and faced world no. 11 Anastasia Myskina, she won easily losing only four games.^[6] She then faced Bethanie Mattek in the next round and won, once again just dropping four games. The following round, Williams defeated compatriot Amy Frazier, once again losing only four games for the third match in a row. In the semifinals, she took on Russian Vera Zvonareva and fell in straight sets.^[7]

JPMorgan Chase Open

In her only third tournament of the year, she played the JPMorgan Chase Open. She cruised pass through her first two matches Maria Kirilenko and Ashley Harkleroad winning in straight sets. In the third round she faced Daniela Hantuchová and lost the first set winning only a game. However, Williams came back winning the next two at three.^[8] In the quarterfinals, Williams faced compatriot Meghann Shaughnessy, the first set went to a tie-breaker, which Shaughnessy won. However, Williams came back and won the next two sets easily.^[9] Williams then faced Jelena Janković in the semifinals. Janković broke Williams in tenth game of the first set to take the set. Janković took control of the second set by breaking Williams in the fourth game and that paved way for Janković to advance to the final.^[10]

US Open

Williams was unable to enter US Open as a direct entry, but received a wildcard.^[11] Williams began her Open against Spaniard Lourdes Domínguez Lino and quickly dispatched the 41 ranked player in straight sets.^[12] For the third time in four tournaments Williams has played, she once again faced Daniela Hantuchová, Hantuchová served for the first set in the ninth game, but Williams pegged her back, breaking and winning the next three games. Williams then took the second set to advance.^[13] Williams then faced a young up-and-comer in Ana Ivanovic and cruised through with a straight set win to become the first wildcard entry to advance to the round of 16.^[14] In the fourth round, Williams faced top seed Amélie Mauresmo. Mauresmo took the first set with a single break, however in the second set Williams came back winning it in a bagel. In the final set Mauresmo broke in the fifth game of the third set and won the last three games to advance.^[15]

All matches

Singles matches

Tournament	Match	Round	Opponent	Rank	Result	Score
Australian Open Melbourne, Australia Grand Slam Hard, outdoor 16–29 January 2006	372	1R	Li Na	#52	Win	6–3, 6–7^(5–7), 6–2
	373	2R	Camille Pin	#130	Win	6–3, 6–1
	374	3R	Daniela Hantuchová	#17	Loss	1–6, 6–7^(5–7)
Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open Cincinnati, United States WTA Tier III Hard 17–23 July 2006	375	1R	Anastasia Myskina	#11	Win	6–2, 6–2
	376	2R	Bethanie Mattek-Sands	#105	Win	6–3, 6–1
	377	QF	Amy Frazier	#56	Win	6–2, 6–2
	378	SF	Vera Zvonareva	50	Loss	2–6, 3–6
JPMorgan Chase Open Los Angeles, United States WTA Tier II Hard 7–13 August 2006	379	1R	Maria Kirilenko	#21	Win	6–2, 6–1
	380	2R	Ashley Harkleroad	#102	Win	6–3, 6–2
	381	3R	Daniela Hantuchová	#17	Win	1–6, 6–3, 6–3
	382	QF	Meghann Shaughnessy	#77	Win	6–7^(7–9), 6–1, 6–4
	383	SF	Jelena Janković	#28	Loss	4–6, 3–6
US Open New York City, United States Grand Slam Hard, outdoor 28 August – 10 September 2006	384	1R	Lourdes Domínguez Lino	#41	Win	6–1, 6–2
	385	2R	Daniela Hantuchová	#18	Win	7–5, 6–3
	386	3R	Ana Ivanovic	#17	Win	6–2, 6–4
	387	4R	Amélie Mauresmo	#1	Loss	4–6, 6–0, 2–6

Tournament schedule

Singles schedule

Williams' 2006 singles tournament schedule is as follows:

Date	Championship	Location	Category	Surface	Points	Outcome
16 January 2006 – 29 January 2006	Australian Open	Melbourne (AUS)	Grand Slam	Hard	62	Third Round lost to Daniela Hantuchová 1–6, 6–7(5–7)
17 July 2006 – 23 July 2006	Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open	Cincinnati (USA)	WTA Tier III	Hard	55	Semifinals lost to Vera Zvonareva 2–6, 3–6
7 August 2006 – 13 August 2006	JPMorgan Chase Open	Los Angeles (USA)	WTA Tier II	Hard	88	Semifinals lost to Jelena Janković, 4–6, 3–6
28 August 2006 – 10 September 2006	US Open	New York (USA)	Grand Slam	Hard	96	Fourth Round lost to Amélie Mauresmo, 6–4, 0–6, 6–2
Total year-end points					301

Yearly records

Head–to–head matchups

Ordered by percentage of wins

Earnings

#	Event	Prize money	Year-to-date
1	Australian Open	$32,483	$32,483
2	Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open	$7,700	$40,183
3	JPMorgan Chase Open	$25,060	$65,243
4	US Open	$66,462	$131,705
			$131,705

Figures in United States dollars (USD) unless noted.

References

^ Williams, Serena; Paisner, Daniel (2009). "Change it up". My Life:Queen of the Court. Pocket Books. pp. 174–175.
^ "Rust and Hantuchova Catch Up to Serena Williams". New York Times. 21 January 2006.
^ "Serena & Davenport to miss Tokyo". BBC News. January 27, 2006. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
^ "Injured Serena pulls out of Miami". BBC News. March 17, 2006. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
^ "Serena targets late-summer return". BBC News. May 3, 2006. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
^ "SERENA WILLIAMS RETURNS". New York Times. 26 July 2006.
^ "Zvonareva beats Srebotnik to lift Cincinnati title". Rediff. 24 July 2006.
^ "Nadal's Loss Ends Hopes of Final Against Federer". Reuters. 11 August 2006.
^ "TENNIS: ROUNDUP; Resurgent Serena Williams Advances at JP Morgan". New York Times. 12 August 2006.
^ "Final Eludes Sharapova and Williams". Reuters. 23 August 2006.
^ "Wrist Injury May Keep Clijsters Out of Open". New York Times. 17 August 2006.
^ "No Rain, No Upsets, Little Suspense. Just Top-Seeded Players Playing Well". New York Times. 31 August 2006.
^ "Triumphant Serena Williams Savors Her Role as an Underdog". New York Times. 1 September 2006.
^ "Davenport, Prepared for Own Goodbye, Extends Her Stay". New York Times. 4 September 2006.
^ "Mauresmo beats Serena to advance to U.S. Open quarterfinals". Yahoo. 5 September 2006.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

External links

[1] Williams, Serena; Paisner, Daniel (2009). "Change it up". My Life:Queen of the Court. Pocket Books. pp. 174–175.

[2] "Rust and Hantuchova Catch Up to Serena Williams". New York Times. 21 January 2006.

[3] "Serena & Davenport to miss Tokyo". BBC News. January 27, 2006. Retrieved January 27, 2011.

[4] "Injured Serena pulls out of Miami". BBC News. March 17, 2006. Retrieved January 27, 2011.

[5] "Serena targets late-summer return". BBC News. May 3, 2006. Retrieved January 27, 2011.

[6] "SERENA WILLIAMS RETURNS". New York Times. 26 July 2006.

[7] "Zvonareva beats Srebotnik to lift Cincinnati title". Rediff. 24 July 2006.

[8] "Nadal's Loss Ends Hopes of Final Against Federer". Reuters. 11 August 2006.

[9] "TENNIS: ROUNDUP; Resurgent Serena Williams Advances at JP Morgan". New York Times. 12 August 2006.

[10] "Final Eludes Sharapova and Williams". Reuters. 23 August 2006.

[11] "Wrist Injury May Keep Clijsters Out of Open". New York Times. 17 August 2006.

[12] "No Rain, No Upsets, Little Suspense. Just Top-Seeded Players Playing Well". New York Times. 31 August 2006.

[13] "Triumphant Serena Williams Savors Her Role as an Underdog". New York Times. 1 September 2006.

[14] "Davenport, Prepared for Own Goodbye, Extends Her Stay". New York Times. 4 September 2006.

[15] "Mauresmo beats Serena to advance to U.S. Open quarterfinals". Yahoo. 5 September 2006.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

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