After that, Williams played only one event before the U.S. Open, losing in the third round of the Olympics.
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The win marked Williams’ first match under the new roof of the Arthur Ashe stadium, which was closed all day after early showers that disrupted play on the outside courts. “I’m so grateful to still be playing, still winning matches”. “It’s good for everyone”.
But in the 22,000-seat stadium, the acoustics of the roof are proving problematic, and Murray admitted the echoing noise made things hard.
Murray, who followed up his Wimbledon triumph with a second straight Olympic gold in Rio, didn’t let the unfamiliar din distract him in a 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 victory over tenacious Spaniard Marcel Granollers.
The sixth seed consolidated the break easily with a hold to love, and in the following game, Goerges was looking to hold serve to stay in the first set but a disguised backhand drop shot victor, and a 13 shot rally which the German wilted by a placing forehand it into the net, and a double fault gave the American a set point. He secured one of the biggest wins of his career after beating Germany’s rising star Alexander Zverev 6-4 6-4 5-7 6-2.
Serena Williams is coming off a straight sets win over Vania King that took 18 games to decide.
Serena continued to discuss the shoulder injury that reduced her summer schedule to just three matches between Wimbledon and the US Open, and felt optimistic that the injury had largely subsided.
The American got the break by Goerges’ attempt to come to the net as she was being completely outplayed from the baseline, and unfortunately her forehand hit the net cord and dropped outside of the line to give Williams the 3-1 lead.
There were some issues, including 28 unforced errors and an off night returning serves, she won only 13 of 40 points on King’s first serve. “It’s very, very loud out there”.
Play on outer courts was, mind you, severely affected. “Here it’s super loud”.
“I definitely think there is a difference between the way male and female athletes are treated”.
“I feel this design, in particular, really is kind of like a superhero design”, Williams said.
“What really matters is I got the win”.
2011 US Open champion Samantha Stosur was knocked out by this year’s Australian Open Quarterfinalist Shuai Zhang in straight sets 6-3, 6-3. She acknowledged she didn’t play her best, saying “I don’t know how I came back”.
“I don’t want to say anything bad because it wasn’t bad”.
There are other marks well within the American’s grasp during the fortnight.
Williams is stalking history on the hardcourts of Flushing Meadows, seeking a seventh US Open title and a 23rd Grand Slam singles crown which would both be Open Era records.
Tsonga, a two-time quarter-finalist, made the last 16 with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) victory over South Africa’s Kevin Anderson.
Halep showed a flash of frustration after letting an early break get away in the opening frame, but she won the last three games to pocket the set and sealed the win when Safarova double-faulted on match point – one of 11 breaks of serve in the contest.
Halep apologized for her racquet-swiping fit of pique. I feel good. When you’re having results, I don’t really miss the past. “But I can’t control my emotions. Like I always said, I’m always trying something different to find a peak performance, something I started recently”.
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“It was a little bit (of an adjustment)”, Halep said about playing under the roof.
