Serena Williams continued her head-to-head dominance over Maria Sharapova , as she kicked off her U.S. Open tournament with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over the Russian on Monday.
The 23 Grand Slam winner and one woman that is fiercely looking to make a statement at the U.S. Open this time around, especially after all the disappointment in recent Grand Slam finals, wasted no time at seeing off the Russian in a true fashion of a champion.
According to the report by Associated Press Serena Williams in her first match at the U.S. Open since last year’s loss in a chaotic, controversial final, stretched her winning streak against Sharapova to 19 matches with a nearly flawless performance that produced a 6-1, 6-1 victory on Monday and a head-to-head series of 20-2 in favour of Serena Williams.
Asked whether she could even imagine losing that many matches in a row across 15 years against one opponent, Williams paused for a moment, then replied: “Gosh, I never thought about it like that.”
“Every time I come up against her,” Williams said, “I just bring out some of my best tennis,” she said.
Williams won twice as many points, 56-28. She saved all five break points she faced and lashed serves at up to 115 mph. She broke five times.
“I always said her ball somehow lands in my strike zone,” Williams said. “I don’t know. It’s just perfect for me.”
Sharapova ranked 87th after missing much of this season with a bad right shoulder that needed surgery, was never going to be a match for Serena Williams, and she showed that as the game lasted just 58 minutes.
“The body’s good. I feel good,” Williams said. “My back’s a lot better. So I’m excited. This is going to be fun.”
A year ago, she was beaten by Naomi Osaka in straight sets in a U.S. Open final that devolved after a back-and-forth between Williams and chair umpire Carlos Ramos. When Williams was asked Monday night what she thought of the U.S. Tennis Association’s decision that Ramos would not officiate any match involving her or her older sister, Venus, at this year’s tournament, this was the reply: “I don’t know who that is.”
The question now is, will she go all the way and clinch 24th Grand Slam, or bottle it again when she gets to the final, as she has done in her recent Grand Slam finals?