Serena Williams Claims She Is Ready For Miami

Written by: Staff on 19th March 2013

Serena Williams Claims She Is Ready For Miami

epa03585891 Serena Williams of the USA in action during her quarter-final tennis match against Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic of the WTA Qatar Ladies' Open at the International Khalifa Tennis Complex in Doha, Qatar, 15 February 2013. EPA/STR |

Serena Williams, who pulled out of the Dubai Duty Free Championships citing a back injury and continued her 11 years boycott of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, insists she is motivated to return to action for Miami’s Sony Open.

“It’s home for me,” Williams, a Palm Beach Gardens resident, said of the Key Biscayne event. “All my friends come, and I want them to be able to stick around, so I have to keep winning.”

In fact Williams has not won the Key Biscayne title since 2008 although she is a five times champion with her first triumph in the tournament coming in 2002 after making her debut as a 16 year-old in 1998 when she reached the quarterfinals, losing to Martina Hingis.

Miami will mark Serena’s first tournament as the world no.1 since Wimbledon 2010 and even though Maria Sharapova posted a notable threat by winning last week’s title at Indian Wells in supreme style, the American will stay top so long as she doesn’t lose before the quarterfinals stage.

In 12 previous campaigns she has failed to do that only once, in 2000 when she lost in the round of 16 to Jennifer Capriati But as Williams admitted: “Losing motivates me.”

Williams has suffered two notable loses already this year; to Sloane Stephens in the Australian Open quarterfinals and then against deposed no.1 Victoria Azarenka in the Doha final.

So coming in to Miami, Williams insists she is extra focused. “Sometimes, I hate to say this, but it’s good for me to lose because I can’t tell you how much that motivates me,” she said. “All I can think of is that loss. It keeps me human.’’

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: American tennis news, BNP Paribas Open, Dubai Duty Free, Indian Wells Tennis Tournament, Miami Sony Open, Serena Williams, Tennis News