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NEW YORK. — Tennis star Serena Williams is poised to break Steffi Graf’s 25-year-old record for consecutive weeks at world number one but Angelique Kerber and Garbine Muguruza are relishing the opportunity to dethrone the queen of the sport.

American 34-year-old Williams’s latest spell on top of the pile started in February 2013.

That’s a stretch of 184 weeks which will become 186 during the US Open fortnight and match Graf’s mark set between 1987 and 1991.

Kerber, a German compatriot of Graf, had her chance to snatch top spot last week by winning the Cincinnati title but faltered in the final, a slip-up which kept her at number two heading into New York.

“I love the question (of the number one ranking). I love it,” said the 28-year-old Kerber, who defeated Williams in the Australian Open final in January for her maiden Grand Slam title.

“Let’s see what happens in the next two weeks.”

Kerber is right to be cautious having suffered in the past for allowing herself to get tied up in knots by predictions and permutations. — AFP.