Serena out to tame French Open demons

If momentum counts for everything in tennis, nothing will stop Serena Williams from winning the French Open for just the second time in her career in Paris on June 8.
At 31, the superstar of the women's game is on an unprecedented winning run going in to the consecration of the claycourt season at Roland Garros.
Four straight tournament wins at Miami, Charleston, Madrid and Rome (the last three coming on clay) and 24 matches in all for the loss of just four sets represents the best unbeaten streak of her career.
Nothing suggests that is about to end in Paris. And yet there are demons to be confronted for the American diva in the city she says is her favourite place in the world.

Namely, 11 previous campaigns and just the one championship win -- in 2002 when she defeated sister Venus in the final -- as the first step on the road to her famous "Serena Slam" of all four Grand Slam titles.
Since then a combination of injuries, lack of focus and claycourt calamities have brought losses to the likes of Katarina Srebotnik and, most surprisingly, in last year's first round to France's Virginie Razzano, which saw a frustrated Williams stomp off the Philippe Chatrier Centre Court in a decided huff.

Since her 2002 triumph, amazingly she has only once managed to get past the quarter-final stage.

But, on the face of it, all that is about to change.
All but down and out after missing 11 months in 2010 and 2011 with a right foot injury followed by a life-threatening pulmonary embolism, Williams has re-dedicated herself to her sport and the results have been hugely impressive.
A repeat of last year's debacle, she says, is out of the question -- the lesson has been learned.
"I have been playing a lot more tennis. I have been spending more time on the court. I felt this past year coming back I had nothing to lose and just really wanted to enjoy my career. You know, in the past when I played I was always so stressed out and always wanted to win, win, win.