Serena has little trouble with Sharapova
NEW YORK – Playing her first match at the U.S. Open since last year’s loss in a chaotic, controversial final, Serena Williams played nearly perfect tennis and beat Maria Sharapova, 6-1, 6-1, in a contest devoid of drama Monday night.
Williams stretched her winning streak to 19 matches against Sharapova and now leads their head-to-head series 20-2.
“Every time I come up against her,” Williams said, “I just bring out some of my best tennis.”
Sure did this time; the whole thing lasted all of 59 minutes. 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.
Few players would have stood a chance against Williams the way she performed – and certainly not a diminished Sharapova, who is ranked just 87th after missing much of this season with a bad right shoulder.
“She would win the title, playing like this,” 18-time major champion Chris Evert said about Williams on ESPN’s telecast.
Williams arrived at Flushing Meadows, where she’s won six titles, accompanied by questions about her back, because spasms that flared up earlier this month forced her to stop playing during the final of one hard-court tuneup tournament and pull out of another one entirely.
Didn’t seem to be an issue against Sharapova.
Not one bit.
“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 title match that devolved after a back-andforth between Williams and chair umpire Carlos Ramos. He warned her for receiving coaching signals, which isn’t allowed in Grand Slam play; when she later broke a racket, he docked her a point; when she argued with him and called him a “thief ” and a “liar,” he docked her a game. The U.S. Tennis Association decided that Ramos would not officiate any match involving Serena Williams or her older sister, Venus, at this year’s tournament.
Williams was calm and cool as can be against Sharapova, only rarely showing the slightest hint of emotion with a cry of “Come on!” or by raising a clenched left fist after the shot of the night, a backhand passing winner that saved a break point early in the second set.