Serena, Venus on course for quick encounter
When Serena Williams gets on a roll, there are few sights more exciting in sports.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion reminded fans of what they missed last year in a 6-4, 6-0 drubbing of Poland’s Magda Linette on opening night of the U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Displaying a blend of power, precision and flair, Serena won nine of the final 10 games and ended the match with an ace before borrowing her big sister Venus’ wave and twirl to the cheering crowd.
“I’m on the road to getting better,” said Serena, who needs another Grand Slam title to equal Margaret Court’s alltime record. “I’m going to be on that road until I get there.”
Venus Williams, winner of seven major titles, defeated Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3, in a hardfought afternoon match at Ashe.
Because 16thseeded Venus and 17th-seeded Serena are in the same star-studded quarter of the draw, the sisters are both one victory from a third-round matchup. It would be the earliest they have ever met at the U.S. Open.
“Yeah, that’s the draw,” Venus said, smiling. “Obviously, the next match, my opponent (Italy’s Camila Giorgi) is not going to roll over. Hopefully, we’ll both be there.”
A Venus victory and a Serena win over Germany’s Carina Witthoeft would produce the 30th edition of the Sister Act. Serena leads the series, 17-12.
The sisters’ first two Open meetings, in 2001 and ’02, came in the final. Venus won the first, Serena the second.
Serena took the court to a thunderous ovation. The six-time Open champion gave birth to daughter Alexis Olympia during last year’s tournament.
Always the fashionista, Serena played in a black silhouetted outfit with a tulle skirt designed by Virgil Abloh, which made her resemble a prima ballerina. Whether the French tennis federation approved of her attire hardly mattered.
After splitting the first six games, Serena took the lead when Linette hit a backhand wide on break point. Serena closed out the first set with a service winner.
While speeding through set two, Serena brought the crowd to its feet with a spectacular shot. At 2-0, 30-30, she anticipated a Linette smash to her right and rifled a forehand crosscourt winner punctuated by a fist pump and a full-throated “Come on!”
Venus’ first-round win was a battle of future Hall of Famers in the twilight of their careers. The Open champion in 2000 and ’01 needed 2:55 to subdue Kuznetsova, the 2004 Open champ.