SERENA’S BIZARRE START TO U.S. OPEN
Injured opponent bows out, giving Williams easy first win in quest for calendar Slam
In a year that has required comeback win after comeback win for Serena Williams in her drive for the Grand Slam, the world No. 1 had it easy Monday night in her opening match of the U.S. Open — really easy.
Facing a clearly injured opponent, Williams raced to a 5-0 edge against 86th-ranked Vitalia Diatchenko of Russia in 12 minutes before leading 6-0, 2-0 when her opponent retired in front of a confused and largely quieted crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
It was a bizarre beginning to perhaps the most hyped tournament in Williams’ career. At 33, Williams is chasing the calendar Slam, having won the first three majors of the year. No player — man or woman — has won all four majors in one year since Steffi Graf in 1988.
Williams also looks to match Graf ’s Open era record of 22 major titles with a win Sept. 12.
“It was definitely different and bizarre,” Williams said. “But at the same time I was still focused. I kept thinking, ‘Just stay focused; don’t lose it.’ You never know what can happen.”
What does happen next is that Williams, the three-time defending Open champion, meets world No. 110 Kiki Bertens in the second round. Should Williams win, she’ll face one of two Americans, Bethanie Mattek-Sands or CoCo Vandeweghe, who beat Sloane Stephens.
It marked the first time Williams won a match — completed or not — without dropping a game since the U.S. Open quarterfinals in 2013, when she beat Carla Suarez Navarro 6-0, 6-0.
Williams knows the road only gets tougher from here, but the New York crowd being firmly behind her made her feel right at home. “I can feel the support. ... It’s been amazing,” Williams said. “If I can stay relaxed, stay calm and just stay happy, I have to look at it that I have nothing to lose.”
It’s a welcome change of pace for Williams. “She’s been tested quite a bit this season,” Mary Joe Fernandez said on ESPN2. “I think she’s going to be happy to get off the court this fast. She’ll take it.”