Sydney International: Serena Williams ready for Belgian challenge

World number one Serena Williams will be taking part in this week’s Sydney International which will serve as her only warmup tournament before the Australian Open. The highly anticipated match between her and returning former world number one Justine Henin could have taken place in this tournament. However, the latter decided to skip the tournament due to a leg injury she got at the Brisbane International, which concluded this weekend.

Henin’s opponent in the first round would have been Spain’s Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez. If she beats the Spaniard, she would face Williams in the second round. The top ranked player has a first round bye.

Williams welcomes the prospect of facing Henin in future matches.

“I don’t think about it a lot. I’ve got a lot on my plate. Everyone assumes that I’m No. 1 anyway. My main goals are always to stay healthy, and that’s a huge goal for any athlete,” she was quoted as saying.
“For me, it’s all about doing the best that I can. Obviously I love playing well in all the Grand Slams and I hate to lose, regardless of where it is,” she added.

When asked about the controversial US Open semifinal incident which resulted to a massive fine on her end, Williams said that she would rather not talk about it.

“Of course, I’ve had plenty of time. I don’t feel one way or the other. It’s over and it was what it was. I think I’ve spoken enough about it,” she said.