Serena Williams begins US Open with a convincing singles win
Serena Williams played an hour-and-a-half match before a delirious New York City crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium. During a 15-minute delay, Williams was given a medical examination. And once the match resumed, she won in a five-set win over world No. 1 Serena.
As Williams, who won her fifth career Wimbledon in January, went to the net to pull back a forehand, a reporter asked her if she was feeling emotional.
“Of course!” Williams said.
It was a tough comeback from Williams, who had dropped one match on grass and one on clay in 2012. But a second-round quarterfinal victory over Jelena Jankovic was a major step forward after a disappointing opening match.
Williams’ first set was close and her second set was intense as she began to find her game. Williams also had her chances. After an opening double fault, she looked like she was on the verge of winning the set.
But she dropped her serve with a drop shot. She hit her next two serves four feet, six inches outside the service box, and she began to struggle. She missed a pair of forehands. She missed a return, leaving her to stare at the back of the net, and when Williams’ opponent came to the net, the American could not hit the ball back.
Then, Williams turned to a second half of a serve into a net. After serving out the first set, Williams had to save the second in injury time.
Williams’ fourth-set win over Jankovic was the eighth career victory over the No. 1 player in the world. She was the only player in the field who defeated No. 1 player on clay.
The match took four hours, 15 minutes and five sets.
This week, Williams will play her first match against Victoria Azarenka. Williams said the match is a good opportunity to assess her game and how it has improved.
“It’s always nice to get a good evaluation on your game,” Williams said. “I played against so many great players when I was younger, so I’ve got a lot of knowledge going into this match.”
Williams, who has not been to an individual US