WIMBLEDON -- So close, yet so far. It's the least appropriate expression to apply to the career of Serena Williams. It's also the most accurate description of her present state as she reboots her drive to equal Steffi Graf's record 22 Grand Slam singles titles in the Open era.
With her No. 1 ranking on the line at this tournament for the first time in a long while, Williams subdued Swiss qualifier Amra Sadikovic on Centre Court in swirling winds in an hour and 14 minutes 6-2, 6-4.
These are strange times for Williams. She is living multiple dilemmas. They are mostly of her own making.
It's partly because Williams walked away from the 2015 season after absorbing that historic loss to Roberta Vinci at the US Open and has only played five tournaments so far this year.
Williams has more Grand Slam match-wins over the past three Grand Slam events than any other WTA player (17). Yet the titles went to Flavia Pennetta, who celebrated her triumph at the 2015 US Open by calling it a career, Angelique Kerber, who reacted to winning this year's Australian Open by slumping badly, and, most recently, French Open champ Garbine Muguruza.
So close, yet so far. It's unfair, but Williams' failures in finals are magnified by their historic significance. If she had just 15 majors, losing a final at age 34 would earn her plaudits. But she's on Graf like a backpack, so the shortfalls are epic.
"I think more or less about winning Australia," Williams said after the match. "I think about winning the French Open. Didn't happen. I think about winning Wimbledon. I don't necessarily think about winning 22.
"Mentally I've been further down than anyone can be. Well, maybe not anyone, but I've been pretty low. There's nothing that's not mentally too hard for me."
The losses have created a narrative propelled by the concept of pressure. Some blame Williams' failures since the Vinci match on that component. They have their reasons, even if they tend to go light on the age-related factors or the quality of some of Williams' opponents.
"It's a glass half-empty, half-full kind of thing," Tracy Austin, Tennis Channel commentator and former US Open champion told ESPN.com after Williams won Tuesday. "People are asking, 'What's wrong with Serena?' Well, nothing. She's still getting to finals. And she still has many opportunities.
"The most important thing is how she looks at it. What she's feeling, and I don't think any athlete is ever going to be 100 percent open about that."
If Williams felt any pressure, she didn't show it in her opening match. On the other hand, her opponent was one of the two players in the singles (the other is British ATP sensation Marcus Willis) who was, until recently, feeding balls to kids as a teaching pro at a tennis club.
Sadikovic, 27, tried the pro game but grew frustrated and disillusioned two years ago. She took a long break and only returned when she saw how well a similar program worked out for fellow countrywoman Timea Bacsinszky. Sadikovic is an athletic 6-foot-1 with good mobility, some tricky slices and spins and a big serve -- but not as big a Williams'.
While Williams hit more double faults than aces (5-4), she lost just seven points when she put her first serve in. Her returns was far superior to Sadikovic's, accounting for four breaks.
"She plays an old-school grass-court game," Williams said. "I knew that going in. Once I knew that, I'm really ready. I was ready for it."
So Williams has hit the reset button once again. Repeated failures tend to raise repeated questions. Is she obsessed with the singles record and feeling the pressure to equal Graf? What does she need to do to accomplish that?
According to Austin, it's simply a matter of relaxing and playing her game on the surface on which she feels most comfortable.
"I would be lying if I said I feel fresh, but I don't feel fatigue," Williams said. "I don't think I feel fresh, but I feel real hungry, super-motivated, extremely ready to do the best."
Maybe she's not so far after all.