Serena Williams struck again yesterday, this time in daylight, unveiling an even skimpier outfit than her denim number from Monday night.
Under a heavy Ashe Stadium sun yesterday, Serena donned the same black knee-high boots during warm-ups but replaced her denim skirt for black – what she termed “micro-mini shorts” – and beat Lindsay Lee-Waters 6-4, 6-3 in a second-round match.
“I didn’t consider it skimpy,” Williams said. “It’s really sexy and micro mini.”
Her serve was dynamite, though she played spottily at times. But this early at the Open, that seems of little concern to the No. 3 seed.
“I always considered myself an entertainer,” she said. “I’ve never been your normal athlete.”
Indeed, she admitted that comfort takes a backseat to the fashion statement she’s making.
“When I first went to meet Nike, the best thing about me is I don’t have to be extremely comfortable,” she said. “I just want to look nice out there. If I’m slightly uncomfortable, that’s OK. I’m usually able to play through it. I don’t want to be in the basic white skirt and the white shirt with the collar. I want to look different.”
Of course, there’s a fine line between looking different and dressing like a domanitrix. There’s also the question of whether she’s sending the right message to her young female fans that dressing seductively is the best way to stand out.
Williams disputed that: “I just think I represent all females who believe in themselves.
“It doesn’t matter what you look like – it’s all about having confidence in yourself,” she said. “That’s not necessarily having to wear some short shorts or extremely small top. It’s just about believing in yourself. I represent women who believe in herself and has confidence in herself to be unique.”
The juxtaposition between Williams and the 27-year-old Lee-Waters, a married mother wearing baggy beige shorts yesterday, was startling. Commentator Tracy Austin even quipped, “This is the Mom against Wonder Woman out here.”
Williams has hinted she may be wearing a “kind of see-through” black tennis dress before the fortnight is over. And she keeps teasing reporters that she’s considering keeping on the knee-high black boots for the match.
Williams may be unaware that the USTA won’t allow it, according to spokesman Chris Widmaeir, because it’s “not customary tennis attire.” But the USTA has not stopped her from wearing them during warm-ups.
“It’s really like neoprene that keeps my legs really warm,” she said. “It’s a really, really light fabric to kind of warm myself up.”
Williams’ most dominating moment yesterday came at 4-4 in the first set when, after double-faulting to start the game, she banged three aces and a service winner to go up 5-4. Then she broke Waters to win the set.
“If she feels she can play her best, feels good about her outfit, that’s great,” Lee-Waters said.
Williams’ next match is against the 16-year-old Tatiana Golovin, the French head-turner seeded No. 30.
“Her outfits are cool but that’s not what intimidates you,” Golovin told The Post. “I played her at Wimbledon. I know how she plays now. I don’t necessarily like the outfits. It’s really good she’s doing that. That’s how she is.”
