Top-seeded Serena Williams continued her dominance through the first week of the U.S. Open and added a piece of history to her name by eliminating Sweden’s Johanna Larsson 6-2, 6-1 in her third-round match at NY on Saturday.
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Venus, who is the sixth seed at the US Open this year, had a trouble in her first match against Kateryna Koslova, just edging past the Ukrainian 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in a thrilling match.
“Actually, it was a really good feeling, I have to say”, she said.
Despite battling a shoulder injury, Williams took home her seventh Wimbledon singles title in July to tie Graf’s career Grand Slam record.
The 34-year-old won her 22nd major triumph at Wimbledon this summer and now sits level at the top of the Open era list with Steffi Graf.
“I feel this design in particular really is kind of like a superhero design”, Serena said. “I’m really proud that I could win it and come back from 3-1 down in the third set”.
Now safely into the round of 16, Williams will be a heavy favorite when she faces world No. 52 Yaroslava Shvedova, who beat Zhang Shuai, 6-2, 7-5, on Saturday.
“My first round, I don’t know, I never hit so many overheads and swing volleys in my life”, she said.
Both Serena and Venus have won the US Open title in the past.
Agnieszka Radwanska blew past Caroline Garcia 6-2, 6-3, committing just five unforced errors and converting on six break points in an impressive performance to move through to the Round of 16 as well.
Sixth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan, two years removed from his run to the final, rallied for a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win over Frances Nicolas Mahut.
Gael Monfils, the No.10 seed, became the first through to the men’s quarterfinals at this year’s US Open after a 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Marcos Baghdatis on Sunday.
On Saturday, Serena Williams scored a huge win for her tennis resume at the US Open 2016 tournament.
Shvedova is best known for the first “golden set” in the Open era, which began in 1968: She won all 24 points of the first set in a victory over Sara Errani at Wimbledon in 2012, one match before a three-set loss to Williams there.
Karolina Pliskova, the Czech 10th seed, beat 17th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russian Federation 6-2, 6-4, 11th seed Carla Suarez Navarro moved through with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Russia’s Elena Vesnina (19) and Croatia’s Ana Konjuh won a battle of the unseeded players, beating American Varvara Lepchenko 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.
Babos put a scare into Romanian fifth seed Halep, surging back in the second set and taking a 3-1 lead in the third before falling 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.
Murray took a 7-6 (7-4), 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Paolo Lorenzi.
The number of accomplishments Williams continues to accumulate are becoming so numbing it makes you wonder whether she is appreciated enough for what she’s done – and continues to keep doing.
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Sevastova’s previous best showing at a major was a round of 16 appearance at the 2011 Australian Open.
