Williams has owned the number one spot since February 18, 2013 and will extend her streak to 186 consecutive weeks by the end of the US Open fortnight, tying the WTA record held by Steffi Graf. She cited a sore shoulder in withdrawing from a hardcourt tournament a week later.
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Australian Nick Kyrgios also put his latest controversy behind him with a straight sets win over Britain’s Aljaz Bedene (6-4, 6-4, 6-4).
Today is game day so the process repeats itself with the exception if it’s a day game earlier in the day (the matches start at 11 a.m.). She’s gotten to the semifinals. ‘She goes deep in majors.
She knows how to play big matches on big courts. Williams was beaten past year by eventual finalist Roberta Vinci, but looks on course to regain her title and defend her status as world number 1 with a strong performance at Flushing Meadows. “It’s really – it’s super special I love it here!” “It was my only option, really”.
Vying to become the fourth man in the Open Era to reach all four major finals in a calendar year, Murray, too, produced a dominant service performance in a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Czech Lukas Rosol.
Looking cool, calm and collected – and most importantly pain-free – Williams recorded a 6-3 6-3 victory in the first round.
Sister Venus was also able to progress to round two as she saw off the challenge of Kateryna Kozlova of Ukraine in three sets, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, despite amassing a total of 63 unforced errors.
“I can improve a lot”, said Williams, who needed just 63 minutes to get by Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova in the first round.
Meanwhile, men’s third seed Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland reached the second round with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-4 win over Spain’s Fernando Verdasco.
Williams appeared to deliver an ominous warning to her rivals as her right arm shot 12 aces and did not concede a single break point.
And she even figured maybe the time she couldn’t spend serving during training sessions paid off, in a way, because she was forced to work on other aspects of her game, including footwork.
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“I didn’t hit them as hard as I normally hit them”, she said about her serves.
