Serena Williams tied Martina Navratilova’s professional-era women’s record with her 306th career victory in a Grand Slam match, beating Vania King 6-3, 6-3 to reach the U.S. Open’s third round.
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Quick, neat and uneventful was also good enough to surpass Martina Navratilova and tie Roger Federer for the all-time record of 307 Grand Slam match victories.
After an impressive first round win over Lukas Rosol, Murray, the favourite for the title in NY this year, saw off the challenge of Spain’s Marcel Granollers 6-4, 6-1, 6-4, despite struggling considerably to control his serves under the Arthur Ashe Stadium roof, as the rain came down.
“To be up there with both men and women is something that’s super rare, and it actually feels good”, Williams said.
Sixth seed Venus Williams, whose seven Grand Slam titles include US Open crowns in 2000 and 2001, opens the night session on Ashe against 26th-seeded Laura Siegemund.
“I was lucky to get through, saving match point”, said Wawrinka after reaching the last 16 in Flushing Meadows for a fifth straight year.
“It’s pretty good. It’s a lot of post-match stuff, stuff I’m not really excited about, but at the end of the day I think it’s good for me”.
Williams will go for number 308 and a step closer to what would be a record seventh US Open title when she meets Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova, a 6-2 7-5 victor over China’s Zhang Shuai, in round four. I was like, Oh, I have a new goal.
Top seed Serena is still managing the right shoulder injury she suffered at the Rio Olympic Games last month but says she is ready to hit peak form.
Finally, Kei Nishikori, the sixth seed, will face No. 21 Ivo Karlovic in the final Round of 16 matchup for the men.
“I don’t know what to expect”, she said wearily, “I’ve never been on this train”.
Williams, who will face No. 10 seed Karolina Pliskova in the fourth round, has had little trouble since a first-round scare against Kateryna Kozlova during which she lost the second set before capturing the third, 6-4.
“Each number I’m definitely most proud of”.
“I feel OK”, Williams said.
Radwanska eased into the fourth round with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over France’s Caroline Garcia.
Much the way Woods did on the golf course before his body began to fail him, Williams makes what she does on the tennis court look so easy it makes you wonder if her greatness is being taken for granted.
Venus went first and showed that at 36, she is still one of the best players around.
“You’re out there, you’re trying to find ways to win”, Larsson said, “but sometimes, it’s just not happening”.
“It was just something that I wanted to try”.
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Next up for Halep is 11th-seeded Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro who advanced with a tidy 6-4 6-3 win over Russian Elena Vesnina.
