Serena Williams thrashes Sharapova
Serena Williams made the perfect return to the US Open after last year’s controversial final by thrashing her longtime rival Maria Sharapova.
Williams, 37, won 6-1 6-1 in a first-round meeting which ended up lasting just 59 minutes.
Twelve months ago, Williams called the umpire “a cheat” and “a liar” during her loss to Naomi Osaka.
But the mood was rather different as she beat the 32-year-old Russian for the 19th time in a row.
Eighth seed Williams, who is bidding for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title and a first since returning from giving birth two years ago, broke Sharapova’s serve five times as she eased into a second-round meeting with fellow American Catherine McNally. When asked about the decision not to allow Portuguese umpire Carlos Ramos to officiate her matches in New York following their infamous row, Williams said: “I do not know who that is.”
From the moment Williams and Sharapova were drawn against each other on Thursday, the latest meeting between two of the biggest names in the sport was the main talking point of the first round at Flushing Meadows.
The arena barely had an empty seat for the opening night session of the tournament, with former world heavyweight champion boxer Mike Tyson and Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin among the 24,000 fans. Williams and Sharapova have had a frosty relationship since they first met on court in 2003, although the American said before they were due to meet at the French Open last year - a match which she then pulled out of with injury - that she did not have any “negative feelings” towards the Russian.
In truth, it has not been much of a rivalry on court in recent years, Williams having won 19 of their 21 previous meetings and both of Sharapova’s wins - including the Wimbledon final - coming back in 2004. Williams took her serve in the next game for a 4-1 lead and, after fighting off three more break points, sealed victory when Sharapova hit a backhand long as she ended the match without winning a single point on her second serve.
“That winner at 3-1 in the second set was a big point for me. She’s the type of player who can get momentum so I was really excited I could get the winner,” Williams added. “Obviously, I’m going against a player who has won five Grand Slams and reached the final of even more so I knew it would be tough. “I was super intense and super focused because it was an incredibly tough draw. “Whenever I come up against her I play my best tennis.” fresh from a match-winning 135 not out – that is being touted as the best test innings of all time - when he took to social media to share his love of test cricket and his England team-mates.
“I f ..... g (don’t care if I get fined) love Test Match Cricket and I love @englandcricket,” Stokes wrote on his social media channels after the third Ashes test at Leeds. Stokes’ superb knock kept England’s hopes of regaining the Ashes alive with a recordbreaking 359 run chase in the fourth innings to level the series at 1-1.
He posted the statement with a photo, taken by England quick Stuart Broad, showing a behind the scenes moment where Stokes appeared to be taking a moment to process what he had just achieved.
Broad wrote: “Not sure he can believe what he’s just done?”
Stokes also paid tribute to No.11 batsman Jack Leach who combined with him for an unbeaten last-wicket partnership of 76. Stokes said the victory was as good as the Cricket World Cup final victory over the Black Caps.
English cricketing great Geoff Boycott described Stokes’ innings as the best cricket moment he has seen in 50 years.
The stream of social media tributes to Stokes would have numbered in the tens of thousands - if not more - former England spinner Graeme Swann produced some of the most comical salutes to Stokes’ incredible innings.
“I have no sister but if I did I’d want her to marry Ben Stokes,” Swann wrote on Twitter. 26 in London with Parker’s manager David Higgins receiving a belated offer from British promoter Eddie Hearn.
An April clash was turned down by former WBO champion Parker because he felt he didn’t have sufficient time to prepare and this time-frame has been pushed to the limit by the ongoing struggles to nail down the details.
Parker (26-2) will have nine weeks to tune up for Chisora (31-9), heading straight into camp in Las Vegas with trainer Kevin Barry.
“It’s nearly there but the last four or five weeks it’s been very hard to communicate with them,” Parker, 27, said of finalising the deal with the 35-year-old Chisora.
“We are going into camp a little bit blind. I’m not so much angry, just frustrated that it has taken so long.
“I just want to punch Chisora in the face ... he has been calling me a chicken. To be honest, as an old dog he has more experience than me but he has more losses than me. “I want to knock him out, that’s what I want to do.”
Parker will have his partner Laine and their three young daughters with him in Vegas for the first time for this two-month stint there.