Williams, seeking an Open-era best 23rd major title, begins Tuesday against 36th-ranked Ekaterina Makarova of Russia, a dangerous unseeded opponent and two-time Grand Slam semifinalist. Williams shares the most Grand Slam titles at 22 with Steffi Graf. Among the findings:— Williams’ average serve speed and top serve speed have increased over the past 16 months, meaning she is going for more easy points. This includes both WTA and Grand Slam contests. 7 seed Roberta Vinci, 33, who slammed the door on Williams’ Grand Slam bid in last year’s U.S. Open semifinals.

Source: National Post August 29, 2016 18:00 UTC