Williams’s first two points of the match were crunching aces that left the 47th-ranked Larsson frozen in her tracks, setting the tone for an afternoon where the 22-times grand slam champion was dominant in the rallies (24 winners) and on her serve (six aces).
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Nevertheless Williams, who can move past the Open Era record she shares with Steffi Graf if she goes all the way to a 23rd Grand Slam title in NY, will step onto Arthur Ashe Stadium court an overwhelming favourite against the 47th-ranked Larsson, who has never made it past the third round of a Grand Slam.
The win moved the 34-year-old American past Martina Navratilova and level with Roger Federer for most grand slam victories by a man or woman.
“I was really excited to reach 307”, Williams said. “I did everything I could today and I’m really happy I could finish the match in my way”. “I’m really proud that I could win it and come back from 3-1 down in the third set”.
“Sometimes I don’t even know that I’m hitting these milestones”, Williams said, per Graham.
Dan Evans of Britain faded in a 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 loss to No. 3 Stan Wawrinka.
Her world number one ranking is under threat, with both second-seeded Angelique Kerber and fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska in with a chance of supplanting her before she can break Graf’s record of 186 consecutive weeks at the top.
Larsson fell behind quickly as Williams broke her at the first opportunity and again to close out the first set.
Venus Williams moved within two wins of a possible sisterly showdown with Serena in the semi-finals of the U.S. Open by beating German 26th seed Laura Siegemund to reach the fourth round on Saturday. Greatness is like fine wine: It gets better with time.
World No. 1 Serena Williams continued her cakewalk through the early stages of the U.S. Open on Saturday when she dispatched Johanna Larsson, 6-2, 6-1, in third-round play at Arthur Ashe Stadium. That was in 1998 – the first year that she entered.
“I think what I liked most here was that feeling of the crowd at the end”, said Venus on court afterward, to the roar of the partisan fans.
The US Open hopeful outlasted 31st seed Babos 6-1 2-6 6-4 in a dramatic match. “I definitely don’t think I played the way I did in my first round”.
Wawrinka, a two-time Grand Slam victor and twice a semifinalist in NY, had the closest call, saving a match-point in a 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (8), 6-2 victory over Britain’s Dan Evans in a four-hour epic.
“She’s a good player”.
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Nishikori, who has dropped a set in each of his matches so far, will take on Ivo Karlovic for a quarterfinal berth after the towering Croatian defeated 19-year-old American Jared Donaldson 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-3.
