Serena Williams begins US Open with a convincing singles win in straight sets
Serena Williams took the court at the US Open with a convincing 3-0, 6-0, 6-0 win over Alize Cornet, extending her unbeaten record at the event to 17 matches.
The 16-time major champion, seeded third, breezed through the first set and a love-20 to take it 6-0, 5-2 in the second and 6-4, 6-2 in the third.
“It was a great feeling,” Williams said afterwards. “This was the first time in two months that I’ve played all three days. I got to play every day. I didn’t really have time, with both, to take a break. But it was great, and I got to have some fun playing these three days.”
The 32-year-old American, ranked No. 11 at the start of the week after being seeded third in Cincinnati, needed just five service games to take the first set before winning the second 6-0.
She broke Cornet early in the third set, but could not break back.
“I felt like I was really playing my best tennis in a long time,” she said. “But I was kind of tired and probably a little bit rusty, and I couldn’t really hit it.”
After being in the final of the French Open two days before the US Open, the fifth-seeded American did not want to waste the chance to reach a Grand Slam final by losing.
The only other player to have played three consecutive days of tennis during the clay-court season in Miami was Maria Sharapova, whose run included a fourth-round match in 2009.
Sharapova had reached the semis of the 2008 French Open in straight sets, but went out to a 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 defeat to No. 4 Kim Clijsters.
Cornet, ranked No. 18, won the first set 6-3 (10-8) and also took the second 6-1, 6-1.
The Spaniard came into the tournament ranked No. 1, having won the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
“I started playing really well the first set
