Serena cruises to victory in first-round match at US Open
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | Wed, 31 Aug 2016 08:57:58 EDT
Serena Williams, of the United States, returns a shot from Ekaterina Makarova, of Russia, during the first round of the U.S. Open Tuesday in New York. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS / DARRON CUMMINGS
Serena Williams started her bid for a record-breaking 23rd major title by showing zero signs of trouble from a right shoulder she’s said was sore, hitting 12 aces in a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Ekaterina Makarova.
Serena Williams’ serve was in fine form in a routine first-round win Tuesday that took just 63 minutes.
It was a potentially tricky opening match for Williams — Makarova is a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist who just missed a seed.
Williams’ first serve averaged 108 mph, and she hit one as hard as 121 mph.
Earlier, Williams’ sister Venus got through a tougher-than-expected 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 win against Kateryna Kozlova.
“It was great to be challenged and to be pushed,” said the 36-year-old Venus, a two-time U.S. Open champion, “because I had to get in those situations that you know you’re going to face in the tournament.”
Venus Williams needed three sets to win her 18th first-round match at the U.S. Open. She defeated Kozlova despite 63 unforced errors.
Williams led 5-2 in the third set, but the 22-year-old from Ukraine pushed her to the limit in the 2-hour, 42-minute match.
Williams, a two-time winner at Flushing Meadows, next faces Julia Georges, who defeated Yanina Wickmayer 6-3, 6-2.
In other first-round action on Day 2 at the year’s last Grand Slam tournament, there were various upsets around the grounds during the afternoon, including 19-year-old American Jared Donaldson’s 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-0 elimination of 12th-seeded David Goffin, and a loss by No. 29 Sam Querrey, who stunned Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon. Three seeded women departed, including former No. 1 and 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic.
The 29th-seeded Querrey lost to Janko Tipsarevic 7-6 (4), 6-7 (0), 6-3, 6-3. It was a tough opening matchup for Querrey — Tipsarevic is a former top-10 player whose ranking is down to 250th after a series of injuries. A two-time quarterfinalist at Flushing Meadows, Tipsarevic got in on a protected ranking.
Rio Olympics bronze medalist and 2014 U.S. Open runner-up Kei Nishikori avoided what would have been his fourth first-round exit in his past six appearances at Flushing Meadows. Nishikori, who earned Japan’s first Olympic tennis medal since 1920 a little more than two weeks ago, advanced by beating Benjamin Becker 6-1, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.
The sixth-seeded Nishikori reached his first Grand Slam final at the U.S. Open two years ago, losing to Marin Cilic at that stage. But he exited in the first round in 2011, 2013 and 2015. Third-seeded Stan Wawrinka advanced to the second round with a straight-set win.
The two-time major champion beat Fernando Verdasco 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-4 despite more unforced errors than winners (37-30). He saved all four break points he faced, while converting two of his five chances, which was just enough for the victory.
In the latest outburst by Bernard Tomic, the Australian muttered at a heckler during his match that he was going to perform a lewd act on that person.
Tomic said after his first-round loss that he apologized to the fan afterward. He added, though: “He definitely baited me the whole set for me to say that. But I do apologize if there were people around that heard. That’s all I can say.”
The 17th-seeded Tomic lost 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (0) to 72nd-ranked Damir Dzumhur, making 78 unforced errors. The vulgar comments came during the first set as Dzumhur was trying to serve. Tomic later claimed he didn’t remember what the heckler was saying to him.
Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 champ, won his opening match in his first U.S. Open since 2013.
Del Potro beat fellow Argentine Diego Schwartzman 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (3) after missing the tournament the last two years because of three left wrist surgeries.
In women’s play Samantha Stosur advanced to the second round with a 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-1 win over Camila Giorgi. The 2011 U.S. Open champion needed three sets against Giorgi, who had an ace to win the second-set tiebreaker. But the 67th-ranked Giorgi got off to a slow start in the third, with Stosur taking a 4-0 lead in the deciding set.Simona Halep gave herself “less than 9” for her quick work against Kirsten Flipkens, 6-0, 6-2, in the first match on Arthur Ashe Stadium.Halep says she wasn’t perfect, but pleased with how she played against the Belgian. She got 69 percent of her first serves in and won 12 of 15 points at the net.
The 2011 U.S. Open champion needed three sets against Giorgi, who had an ace to win the second-set tiebreaker. But the 67th-ranked Giorgi got off to a slow start in the third, with Stosur taking a 4-0 lead in the deciding set. Simona Halep gave herself “less than 9” for her quick work against Kirsten Flipkens, 6-0, 6-2, in the first match on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Serena Williams’ serve was in fine form in a routine first-round win Tuesday that took just 63 minutes.
It was a potentially tricky opening match for Williams — Makarova is a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist who just missed a seed.
Williams’ first serve averaged 108 mph, and she hit one as hard as 121 mph.
Earlier, Williams’ sister Venus got through a tougher-than-expected 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 win against Kateryna Kozlova.
“It was great to be challenged and to be pushed,” said the 36-year-old Venus, a two-time U.S. Open champion, “because I had to get in those situations that you know you’re going to face in the tournament.”
Venus Williams needed three sets to win her 18th first-round match at the U.S. Open. She defeated Kozlova despite 63 unforced errors.
Williams led 5-2 in the third set, but the 22-year-old from Ukraine pushed her to the limit in the 2-hour, 42-minute match.
Williams, a two-time winner at Flushing Meadows, next faces Julia Georges, who defeated Yanina Wickmayer 6-3, 6-2.
In other first-round action on Day 2 at the year’s last Grand Slam tournament, there were various upsets around the grounds during the afternoon, including 19-year-old American Jared Donaldson’s 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-0 elimination of 12th-seeded David Goffin, and a loss by No. 29 Sam Querrey, who stunned Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon. Three seeded women departed, including former No. 1 and 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic.
The 29th-seeded Querrey lost to Janko Tipsarevic 7-6 (4), 6-7 (0), 6-3, 6-3. It was a tough opening matchup for Querrey — Tipsarevic is a former top-10 player whose ranking is down to 250th after a series of injuries. A two-time quarterfinalist at Flushing Meadows, Tipsarevic got in on a protected ranking.
Rio Olympics bronze medalist and 2014 U.S. Open runner-up Kei Nishikori avoided what would have been his fourth first-round exit in his past six appearances at Flushing Meadows. Nishikori, who earned Japan’s first Olympic tennis medal since 1920 a little more than two weeks ago, advanced by beating Benjamin Becker 6-1, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.
The sixth-seeded Nishikori reached his first Grand Slam final at the U.S. Open two years ago, losing to Marin Cilic at that stage. But he exited in the first round in 2011, 2013 and 2015. Third-seeded Stan Wawrinka advanced to the second round with a straight-set win.
The two-time major champion beat Fernando Verdasco 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-4 despite more unforced errors than winners (37-30). He saved all four break points he faced, while converting two of his five chances, which was just enough for the victory.
In the latest outburst by Bernard Tomic, the Australian muttered at a heckler during his match that he was going to perform a lewd act on that person.
Tomic said after his first-round loss that he apologized to the fan afterward. He added, though: “He definitely baited me the whole set for me to say that. But I do apologize if there were people around that heard. That’s all I can say.”
The 17th-seeded Tomic lost 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (0) to 72nd-ranked Damir Dzumhur, making 78 unforced errors. The vulgar comments came during the first set as Dzumhur was trying to serve. Tomic later claimed he didn’t remember what the heckler was saying to him.
Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 champ, won his opening match in his first U.S. Open since 2013.
Del Potro beat fellow Argentine Diego Schwartzman 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (3) after missing the tournament the last two years because of three left wrist surgeries.
In women’s play Samantha Stosur advanced to the second round with a 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-1 win over Camila Giorgi. The 2011 U.S. Open champion needed three sets against Giorgi, who had an ace to win the second-set tiebreaker. But the 67th-ranked Giorgi got off to a slow start in the third, with Stosur taking a 4-0 lead in the deciding set.Simona Halep gave herself “less than 9” for her quick work against Kirsten Flipkens, 6-0, 6-2, in the first match on Arthur Ashe Stadium.Halep says she wasn’t perfect, but pleased with how she played against the Belgian. She got 69 percent of her first serves in and won 12 of 15 points at the net.
The 2011 U.S. Open champion needed three sets against Giorgi, who had an ace to win the second-set tiebreaker. But the 67th-ranked Giorgi got off to a slow start in the third, with Stosur taking a 4-0 lead in the deciding set. Simona Halep gave herself “less than 9” for her quick work against Kirsten Flipkens, 6-0, 6-2, in the first match on Arthur Ashe Stadium.