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Not the bling. Not the booty. It’s the bandages that will be the most focused-upon part of Serena Williams’ outfit as she completes a brutal Australian Open workload in her women’s singles final against Belgian Justine Henin at Melbourne Park on Saturday.
Williams’ march to the doubles title with sister Venus on Friday has given her a huge amount of on-court commitments late in the tournament’s second week.
The 28-year-old has been sporting heavy bandages on her right thigh, left calf and now her wrist, and how she holds together may well be crucial in whether she can see off former world No.1 Henin.
“We’ve run out of tape and been borrowing from everyone. It’s quite hilarious,” Williams said after a schedule in which she will have played a singles quarter-final, semi-final and final and doubles semi-final and final within 72 hours.
“I feel like I have one more match to go and that’s it, I’m done, the tournament is over.
“At least I won’t have a match on Sunday because I’ve played every day. It’s been pretty intense.”
The intensity is unlikely to drop any against Henin, whose irresistable comeback is the feelgood story of the Open.
The unranked wildcard is bidding to win an eighth major in just her second tournament back from retirement, which would better fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters’ feat of landing her second slam three events into her return last year at the US Open.
Williams, already a four-time Australian Open champion, can join her idol Billie Jean King in equal sixth place on the all-time grand slam leader board with 12 majors.
Only Australian Margaret Court Smith (24), Steffi Graf (22), Helen Wills Moody (19), Martina Navratilova (19) and Chris Evert (18) have won more.
Newly-arrived Australian Sean Berman is aiming to become the host nation’s third boys’ singles champion in the past four years at Melbourne Park on Saturday.
Berman, 17, who grew up in New Zealand but whose famjly are in the process of becoming naturalised Australians, powered into the final with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 win over Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics on Friday.
He will play 14th seeded Brazilian Tiago Fernandes in the final on Rod Laver Arena.
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