2006 Serena Williams tennis season

2006 Serena Williams tennis season

File:Serena Williams waiting to return serve Australian Open 2006 crop.JPG Serena Williams at the Australian Open
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 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.

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.

Early hard courts, clay court and grass season

She then withdrew from tournaments in Tokyo (citing her lack of fitness) and Dubai and from the Tier I NASDAQ-100 Open in Key Biscayne (citing a knee injury and lack of fitness). 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.

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. 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.

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. 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. 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.

US Open

Williams was unable to enter US Open as a direct entry, but received a wildcard. Williams began her Open against Spaniard Lourdes Domínguez Lino and quickly dispatched the 41 ranked player in straight sets. 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. 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. In the fourth round, Williams faced top seed Amelie 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.

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	Amelie 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 Amelie Mauresmo, 6–4, 0–6, 6–2
Total year-end points					301

Yearly records

Head–to–head matchups

Ordered by percentage of wins

• Li Na 1–0
• Camille Pin 1–0
• Anastasia Myskina 1–0
• Bethanie Mattek-Sands 1–0
• Amy Frazier 1–0

• Maria Kirilenko 1–0
• Ashley Harkleroad 1–0
• Meghann Shaughnessy 1–0
• Lourdes Domínguez Lino 1–0
• Ana Ivanovic 1–0

• Daniela Hantuchová 2–1
• Vera Zvonareva 0–1
• Jelena Janković 0–1
• Amelie Mauresmo 0–1

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.

See also

• Venus Williams
• 2006 WTA Tour

External links

Sporting positions
Preceded by Venus Williams Ana Ivanovic Jelena Janković Dinara Safina Dinara Safina Victoria Azarenka	World No. 1 July 8, 2002 – August 10, 2003 September 8, 2008 – October 5, 2008 February 2, 2009 – April 19, 2009 October 12, 2009 – October 25, 2009 November 2, 2009 – October 10, 2010 February 18, 2013 – Present	Succeeded by Kim Clijsters Jelena Janković Dinara Safina Dinara Safina Caroline Wozniacki Incumbent
Preceded by Caroline Wozniacki Petra Kvitová	US Open Series Champion 2011 2013, 2014	Succeeded by Petra Kvitová Karolína Plíšková
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Venus Williams	WTA Newcomer of the Year 1998	Succeeded by Kim Clijsters
Preceded by Patty Schnyder	WTA Most Improved Player 1999	Succeeded by Elena Dementieva
Preceded by Martina Hingis & Anna Kournikova Cara Black & Liezel Huber	WTA Doubles Team of the Year 2000 (with Venus Williams) 2009 (with Venus Williams)	Succeeded by Lisa Raymond & Rennae Stubbs Gisela Dulko & Flavia Pennetta
Preceded by Jennifer Capriati Justine Henin Petra Kvitová	WTA Player of The Year 2002 2008, 2009 2012 – 2015	Succeeded by Justine Henin Kim Clijsters Incumbent
Preceded by Jennifer Capriati Jelena Janković Petra Kvitová	ITF Women's Singles World Champion 2002 2009 2012 – 2015	Succeeded by Justine Henin Caroline Wozniacki Incumbent
Preceded by Jennifer Capriati Candace Parker Gabby Douglas Mo'ne Davis	Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year 2002 2009 2013 2015	Succeeded by Annika Sörenstam Lindsey Vonn Mo'ne Davis Incumbent
Preceded by Inge de Bruijn Lindsey Vonn	Gazzetta dello Sport Sportswoman of the Year 2002 2013	Succeeded by Paula Radcliffe Tina Maze
Preceded by Jennifer Capriati Yelena Isinbayeva Genzebe Dibaba	Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year 2003 2010 2016	Succeeded by Annika Sörenstam Lindsey Vonn Incumbent
Preceded by Madison Bumgarner	Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year 2015	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by Venus Williams Maria Sharapova Maria Sharapova Maria Sharapova	Best Female Tennis Player ESPY Award 2003–2004 2009–2011 2013 2015	Succeeded by Maria Sharapova Maria Sharapova Maria Sharapova Incumbent
Preceded by Venus Williams Brittney Griner	Best Female Athlete ESPY Award 2003 2013	Succeeded by Diana Taurasi Ronda Rousey
Preceded by Amélie Mauresmo	WTA Comeback Player of the Year 2004	Succeeded by Kim Clijsters
Preceded by Martina Hingis	Laureus Comeback of the Year 2007	Succeeded by Paula Radcliffe
Preceded by Cara Black & Liezel Huber	ITF Women's Doubles World Champion 2009 (with Venus Williams)	Succeeded by Gisela Dulko & Flavia Pennetta
Preceded by First Award Maria Kirilenko & Victoria Azarenka	WTA Fan Favorite Doubles Team of the Year 2009, 2010 (with Venus Williams) 2012 (with Venus Williams)	Succeeded by Maria Kirilenko & Victoria Azarenka Ekaterina Makarova & Elena Vesnina
Preceded by Lionel Messi Katie Ledecky	L'Équipe Champion of Champions 2012, 2013 2015	Succeeded by Katie Ledecky Incumbent
Preceded by Yani Tseng Maria Sharapova	United States Sports Academy Female Ahtlete of the Year 2012 2015	Succeeded by Yuna Kim Incumbent
Records
Preceded by Lindsay Davenport	WTA Prize money leader February 2, 2009 –	Incumbent