This wasn’t so grand.
After surviving a scare from 110th-ranked Kiki Bertens — while committing 10 double-faults and falling behind 4-0 in a first-set tiebreaker — Serena Williams marched back onto the practice court with her coach, Patrick Mouratoglu, to do drills for another full hour.
That’s how shaky Williams looked Wednesday at the U.S. Open.
Williams captured her second-round match over the Netherlands unknown at Arthur Ashe Stadium, but was in far from good form. She labored the entire first set before righting herself to pick up a 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 victory.
Mouratoglu blamed Williams’ lack of sharpness on the first-round fiasco with Vitalia Diatchenko, labeling that night “a joke.’’
Diatchenko retired at 6-0, 2-0 after 30 minutes, barely moving and claiming a mysterious ankle injury despite not limping. Williams didn’t break a sweat Monday night. Wednesday, she spent much of the time scowling.
“I got a little nervous today,’’ Williams said. “[But] I’ve been completely relaxed, chill. So I’m going to get back into the place I was and I’ll be fine again.’’
She has five matches to go before winning tennis’ pinnacle achievement — the Grand Slam. In a fortuitous break in the draw, Williams faces 105th-ranked Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the third round instead of the more formidable Coco Vandeweghe, who was upset Wednesday.
“She was not satisfied with her level,’’ Mouratoglu said of Williams. “That’s why she wanted to hit some balls. It’s something she does. Not the first time she’s done this.’’
But she hasn’t done it after any of her other Grand Slam victories this year. The triumph was Williams’ 30th straight win in a major but came with concern.
“Patrick told me something he saw and thought I could work on to improve it,’’ Williams said of the impromptu early-evening practice.
She seemed downcast during her post-match press conference.
“I’ve always made some legendary comebacks since 1998, since it started,’’ said Williams, who lost in the first set of five of her French Open matches. “It’s been my M.O. my whole career.’’
Mouratoglu credited with igniting Williams’ late-career dominance vowed, “She’ll be better next time, for sure. It has to be much better.’’
Williams was down a break through most of the first set and screamed loudly after finally getting the match on serve at 5-5. In one of the games she won, Williams whacked four double faults. She got in only 59 percent of first serves and hooked many groundstrokes into the doubles alley as the Netherlands upstart played loose and Serena played tight.
“The serve was unsatisfying,’’ Mouratoglu said. “We went back on court for serves and few other things.’’
The mysterious withdrawal of Diatchenko had the coach angered that his pupil was not tested.
“The first match was just a joke,’’ Mouratoglu said. “There was no first match physically, which I was quite unsatisfied with. I don’t think it’s normal to happen in a first match of a Grand Slam night session. Shouldn’t happen. I didn’t know how she [would be].’’
Bertens, playing Williams for the first time, showed poise and confidence in the first set and hung in during the second frame.
Williams hooked a backhand wide to make it 0-4 in the tiebreaker before she reeled off five straight points, and went up an early break but gave it back with a double fault on break point. Williams harnessed her serve and crosscourt forehand, and soon was clenching her first and Bertens was throwing her racket.
Mattek-Sands is known more for wacky outfits than her formidable presence at the majors. She wore a flowing pink skirt with her trademark high bobby socks and orange coloring in her hair.
“I have nothing to lose,’’ Mattek-Sands said, adding, “I always have a special outfit. I’ll have what I got packed in my bag.’’
“I love her spirit and her outfits,’’ Williams said.