AS IT IS 2015-08-31 Serena Williams Chasing History at US Open

AS IT IS 2015-08-31 Serena Williams Chasing History at US Open

The U.S. Open tennis tournament begins Monday in New York City. It is the last opportunity for 127 women to win a ‘Grand Slam’ title this year. And it is a chance for one player to win a place in history.

American player Serena Williams is the heavy favorite to win the women’s title. For Williams, her U.S. Open victory would mean much more than just another Grand Slam trophy¹.

The 33-year-old Williams is hoping to complete a women’s singles Grand Slam. No female player has completed a calendar-year Grand Slam in 27 years. Only three players have ever done so. The last player to do so was Germany’s Steffi Graf.

If Williams is victorious² at the U.S. Open, she would also tie Graf’s 22 Grand Slam titles. That is the second-most Grand Slam wins in women’s tennis history, behind Australian player Margaret Court, who won 24.

The possibility of Williams completing a calendar-year Grand Slam has fans of women’s tennis more excited than ever. The U.S. Tennis Association said Thursday that tickets for the women’s singles final sold out before the men’s singles final. The organization believes it is the first time that has happened in U.S. Open history.

No player has dominated women’s tennis quite like Serena Williams. She is the current champion of all four of tennis’ Grand Slams: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and finally, the U.S. Open. Serena won the U.S. Open last year. Tennis fans, and Williams herself, call her four grand slam titles in a row a “Serena Slam.” She has achieved the so-called “Serena Slam” twice in her career.

But a calendar-year Grand Slam is one thing Williams has never done. She has admitted to feeling the pressure.

"It definitely feels different because I have never been in this position in my career," she told the Reuters news agency.

Williams spoke³ to reporters Thursday after the tournament’s draw was released. She told reporters she would like to avoid comparisons to past tennis greats, such as Steffi Graf and Margaret Court.

“I never really thought I would be in this position where I would even be talking about records, talking about passing Steffi Graf or even mentioning Margaret Court," Williams said. “I just grew up trying to be the best that I could.”

Williams won her first-ever Grand Slam tournament at the 1999 U.S. Open, at the age of 17. Sixteen years and 20 grand slam victories later, she is aiming to make history.

Williams starts the competition Monday with a first-round game against Russian Vitalia Diatchenko, who is ranked number 86. The women's singles final is on Saturday, September 12, and the men's singles final is Sunday, September 13.

Words in This Story:

opportunity - n. a situation in which something can be done

trophy - n. an object (such as a large cup or sculpture) that is given as a prize for winning a competition

tie - v. to make the score of a game or contest equal

dominate - v. to be much more powerful or successful than others in a game or competition

draw - n. an act of selecting names randomly⁴ to match competitors in a game or tournament.

1 trophy   

n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品

参考例句：

• The cup is a cherished trophy of the company.那只奖杯是该公司很珍惜的奖品。
• He hung the lion's head as a trophy.他把那狮子头挂起来作为狩猎纪念品。

2 victorious   

adj.胜利的，得胜的

参考例句：

• We are certain to be victorious.我们定会胜利。
• The victorious army returned in triumph.获胜的部队凯旋而归。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 randomly   

adv.随便地，未加计划地

参考例句：

• Within the hot gas chamber, molecules are moving randomly in all directions. 在灼热的气体燃烧室内，分子在各个方向上作无规运动。 来自辞典例句
• Transformed cells are loosely attached, rounded and randomly oriented. 转化细胞则不大贴壁、圆缩并呈杂乱分布。 来自辞典例句