Catherine “Caty” McNally walked onto Arthur Ashe Stadium for the first time in her career Wednesday night. She wasn’t there because she was the feature player that night. No. That might come in the future, but it wasn’t this night. Instead, McNally was playing on Ashe because of her opponent: 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams.
McNally knew who she was facing. In her on-court pre-match interview, she called Williams “the GOAT.” A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, McNally announced her arrival on the tennis scene in Washington about a month ago, reaching the semifinals. She did not acquit herself nearly as well at her home tournament in Cincinnati, losing in the first round, including a 0-6 second set. The talent was obvious, though, and she made quick work of the higher-ranked Timea Bacsinszky in the first round here at the US Open.
Coming out onto Arthur Ashe Stadium to face Serena Williams can be a daunting task, though. There was a bit of the expected nerves, as Williams held her opening service game to love, and McNally followed that up with a double fault on her first serve. Once the 17-year-old won her first point, though, the match was on.
Caty McNally vs Serena Williams
The first thing we need to mention is the McNally serve. The teenager has a powerful serve, which she used very effectively. She also followed it in and used the serve-and-volley, something Williams rarely sees against other top players. On top of that, McNally went big on all of her second serves. That did lead to several double faults, but also meant that she won most of the second serves that actually went into play.
On return, the Ohioan showed some gamesmanship early. She moved around before some early Williams second serves, and stood in deep on those serves throughout the match. Whether it was a tactical plan or just a ploy to rattle the six-time US Open champion, it definitely accomplished the latter.
Each player held serve easily through the early sections of the match. Some games reached 30-30, but neither player faced a break point until 5-5. Williams played a loose game, and McNally took full advantage to earn the break. One nervous hold later, and McNally had taken the first set.
We have to point out that Serena Williams was clearly not her dominant self in this match. She clearly did not have the intensity or fire that she brought two nights ago against Maria Sharapova. Additionally, the groundstrokes weren’t as crisp as we’re used to seeing. Williams sprayed way too many errors, and way too many went into the net.
Second and Third Sets
The second set started much the same way as the first. Each player had struggles in some service games, but never real trouble. Again, the serve was dominant. Game after game went by without anyone facing a break point, let alone actually breaking serve. McNally, though, played a poor service game–including two double faults–and fell down 2-4 as Williams took the break with a strong passing shot. It was a rough following game, but Williams consolidated the break and took a 5-2 lead. McNally saved four set points and forced Williams to serve it out–and the six-time champion here did. We were going to a decider.
The third set was a straightforward affair. Williams took the first four games, and her lead was never threatened. Another break to end it, and the third set went 6-1. It wasn’t without trouble, but Serena Williams is moving on.
What’s next?
It’s always too early to proclaim a teenager the next star of the sport. McNally is still only 17, and will go through growing pains. How she adjusts to those will determine the course of her career overall. One thing is sure based on this match, though. The potential is definitely there.
For Serena, the chase for Grand Slam #24 will continue. Next up is the winner of Thursday’s (rain-delayed) match between Karolina Muchova and Su-Wei Hsieh.
Main Photo from Getty.
