Williams’ second-round win over fellow American Vania King brought her level with Martina Navratilova’s record of 306 grand slam wins.
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Venus Williams, the US Open victor of 2000 and 2001, was runner-up to top seed Martina Hingis as an unseeded player in the inaugural year of Ashe Stadium and 19 years later finished the first US Open day session played entirely under a roof.
Victory for both would put them one win away from a semi-final meeting at Flushing Meadows.
Williams, 34, won her first grand slam at Flushing Meadows in 1999 and is on the verge of a record seventh USA title.
World number one and defending champion Serena, trying to break the record of 22 grand slam titles she shares with Steffi Graf, plays number 52 Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan.
“Sometimes I don’t even know that I’m hitting these milestones”, Williams said. I was really excited to reach 307.
“I just think it should have been a different scoreline for me”.
That sounds like bad news for upcoming opponents, starting with 52nd-ranked Yaroslava Shvedova, who advanced to the round of 16 in NY for the first time by beating Zhang Shuai 6-2, 7-5.
Also advancing to the third round is Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, who beat Briton Naomi Broady 7-6 (11-9) 6-3. “I’m just so pleased I could come back in that first set”, Radwanska said in an on-court interview.
“I don’t feel like I’m Serena out there yet”, she said. “If she doesn’t play really well, she’s always a little bit hard on herself”, King said.
“Each number I’m definitely proud of”, said Williams.
“I feel like I have been doing pretty good”, she said, per Reuters (via the New York Times).
Serena Williams has brushed aside Johanna Larsson in the third round of the US Open to remain on course for her seventh title on home soil.
The US Open would be a fitting tournament for Williams to break two records consecutively.
Williams first Gland Slam was the 1999 US Open.
Murray jumped to a quick 5-2 lead in the first set, then it took about 23 minutes to get through the last two games as Granollers saved six set points and got back on serve.
Murray´s troubles against Paolo Lorenzi were much of his own making as he allowed the Italian journeyman to make him look ordinary through two sets before pulling himself together to win 7-6 (7/4), 5-7, 6-2, 6-3.
A victory by Williams in the next round could set up a quarterfinal match against No. 5 seed Simona Halep, a 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 victor over No. 31 seed Timea Babos.
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Carla Suarez Navarro celebrated her 28th birthday in style as she defeated Elena Vesnina to secure a spot in the US Open round of 16 on Saturday.
