After slow start, Serena rolls into French Open second round
Serena Williams went from a 72-minute struggle of a first set that required a tiebreaker to resolve in her first-round match at the French Open to a lopsided second set in which she did not drop a game.
“I just need to play with more confidence,” Williams said, by way of explanation for how her 7-6 (2), 6-0 victory over 102nd-ranked Kristie Ahn unfolded Monday, “like I’m Serena.”
Well, yes, she was more herself for the latter half of the contest, which by the end really wasn’t much of a contest.
And this is how Ahn, a former Stanford player, described the sensation of being across the net from that version of Williams, the one where she is at her very best.
“It feels like you’re trying to push a runaway train in the opposite direction,” Ahn said. “It’s very difficult to try and stop, to stop her momentum when she’s going, when she’s feeling it.”
Imagine Ahn’s (bad) luck of the draw: She is the first player to face Williams in the first round at two consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, having also lost their matchup at the U.S. Open.
“I mean, I laughed,” Ahn said. “I mean, what are the odds?”
Dominic Thiem won his first match since winning the U.S. Open, advancing to the second round with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 victory over U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic. Thiem will next face American qualifier Jack Sock, who beat Reilly
Opelka 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 and was one of six men from the U.S. to get to the second round; only one did a year ago in Paris.
Williams, bidding to match Margaret Court’s record 24 Grand Slam titles, hit her 11th ace on her fifth match point to seal the victory in an hour and 41 minutes.
Next up for the American will be a secondround meeting against fellow mother Tsvetana Pironkova, who earlier beat Andrea Petkovic 6-3, 6-3.
• Atherton’s CiCi Bellis lost her first-round match 7-6 (3), 6-1 to fellow American Bernarda Pera.
• Italian qualifier Lorenzo Giustino recovered from an opening-set bagel to edge home favorite Corentin Moutet 0-6, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (3), 2-6, 18-16 in a match which lasted six hours and five minutes. The fifth set alone lasted three hours and had a total of 11 break points shared between the two players.
• Rafael Nadal began his title defense with a commanding 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Belarussian Egor
Gerasimov. The Spaniard moved to a 119-2 record in best-of-five matches on clay.
• American Madison Keys, who reached the French Open semifinals two years ago, suffered a shock 6-3, 7-6 (2) defeat by China’s Zhang Shuai.
• Novak Djokovic looks to start a new Grand Slam winning streak, playing his first match at a major tournament today since being defaulted in the fourth round of the U.S. Open. He will face 80th-ranked Mikael Ymer of Sweden.
NBA
RIVERS OUT AS CLIPPERS COACH AFTER FALLING TO NUGGETS IN PLAYOFFS» Doc Rivers says on social media he is no longer the coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, thanks fans for their support.
Horse racing
AUTHENTIC SET AS 9-5 FAVORITE AT PREAKNESS DRAW » Kentucky Derby winner Authentic was installed as the 9-5 morning line favorite for the Preakness and drew the No. 9 post position at the draw that lacked the usual fanfare of owners and trainers packing into a crowded tent in the infield at Pimlico Race Course.
Authentic’s trainer, Bob Baffert, is undefeated taking the Derby winner to the Preakness, which will be run Saturday without fans. Baffert is looking for his record-breaking eighth Preakness victory. Art Collector, who was scratched from the Derby, appears to be the biggest threat to Authentic and is the 5-2 second choice on the morning line out of post No. 3.
Soccer
YUELLI, QUAKES SHOCK LAFC WITH LATE GOALS » Jackson Yueill’s tap-in goal in extra time lifted San Jose to a 2-1 comeback win over LAFC late Sunday night.
The win ended San Jose’s winless streak at eight matches and is their first win since returning from the MLS is Back tournament.
Christian Espinoza set up Yueill’s goal, weaving through defenders to the left of the goal for a perfect center to Yueill in the 93rd minute.
College football
FLORIDA STATE’S NORVELL REJOINING TEAM AFTER QUARANTINE » Florida State coach Mike Norvell said he will return to practice today and coach in Saturday’s game against Jacksonville State after missing the loss to Miami due to a positive COVID-19 test.
Norvell is completing a 10-day quarantine due to the positive test as required by the ACC’s medical advisory group.