Serena Looks To Take Advantage Of Open Draw At Roland Garros

SERENA Williams continues her latest bid for an elusive 24th Grand Slam singles crown on Wednesday at a French Open now without two of the world’s top three-ranked women’s players.

The 39-year-old Williams has already seen two of her likeliest title challengers, who have both beaten her in major finals in recent years, either fail to start the tournament or pull out in unprecedented circumstances.

World number three Simona Halep, the 2018 Roland Garros champion who defeated Williams a year later in the Wimbledon final, withdrew before the event with injury.

The biggest story of the French Open so far has undoubtedly been world number two Naomi Osaka’s shock withdrawal after a press boycott, saying she has been suffering with “bouts of depression” since her breakthrough victory over Williams in the controversial 2018 US Open showpiece match.

Serena, who has been one short of Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24