Sport
Serena Williams defeats Caroline Wozniacki to lift her 6th U.S. Open title
Serena Williams with the U.S. Open trophy – after defeating Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 6-3 on Sunday Sept. 7, 2014. PHOTO/AP
World number one Serena Williams won her 18th Grand Slam title, overpowering Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 6-3 on Sunday to capture her sixth US Open crown.
The world number one, shut out in the first 3 majors of the year, ended a year of waiting as she joined Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova on 18 majors – trailing only the 22 of Steffi Graf on the Open era list and six behind the all-time record held by Margaret Court.
Williams, who turns 33 later this month, said the goal of an 18th Grand Slam had hung over her “because I was joining Chrissy and Martina, someone I never thought me, Serena Williams, would be in that name group.”
“Who am I?” said Williams, who grinned with delight as Evert and Navratilova presented her with a gold bracelet bearing an “18” charm.
“I never thought you would mention my name with such greats and legends.”
Williams lifted the trophy at Flushing Meadows for the third straight year, joining Evert as the only woman in the Open era to win 3 titles in a row and matching Evert’s 6 U.S. Open triumphs.
Williams, gracious in victory, also offered words of encouragement to her beaten foe, her friend and confidant as both endured difficult months this year.
“Congratulations to Caroline, she knows the struggles I have had. She’s a real nice person, a great friend. We text each other all the time. “You will win a Grand Slam title soon,” Williams said.
“Serena, you deserve it. You played better than me today and you deserve to be the champion,” Wozniacki said. “You are an inspiration on the court and off it. You’re an unbelievable champion and a great friend. The drinks are on you tonight.”
With so much on the line for each woman, the first set was a tense affair with few fireworks. After saving a break point in the first game with an ace, Williams made Wozniacki pay for a tight first service game, in which Wozniacki double faulted twice.
Williams seized the break and a 2-0 lead with a pair of stinging service returns. It signalled a run of 5 breaks of serve that ended with Williams holding for a 5-2 lead, heaping the pressure on Wozniacki to hold for the first time. She did, fending off one break point to force Williams to serve it out.
With a set in hand, Williams was moving more freely. Even luck wasn’t going Wozniacki’s way, as a net cord bounce in Williams’ favor ended a 20-shot rally to give the American a break chance in the first game of the second – which she promptly converted.
Wozniacki’s vaunted defensive skills were on full display as she doggedly ran down balls, but she couldn’t match Williams’ power, skill and ability to conjure winners from all areas of the court. Williams finished with 29 winners to Wozniacki’s four, belting a forehand to give herself match point.
She finished off her good friend after one hour and 15 minutes with a break of serve in the final game, dropping to her back and covering her face with her hands after Wozniacki fired a backhand long.
Williams began the year boldly, with the possibility of achieving a rare calendar Grand Slam talked up by her coach Patrick Mouratoglou before the Australian Open in January. That dream ended with a fourth-round exit at Melbourne. An embarrassing second-round exit at the French Open was followed by a third-round departure at Wimbledon – where she also looked weak and disoriented.
Since then Williams had gone from strength to strength, winning 2 hardcourt titles in the run-up to the U.S. Open. Her strong showing on the hardcourts of America meant she claimed a US$4 million jackpot on Sunday – US$3 million for winning the title and a US$1 million bonus as the winner of the U.S. Open Series points race.
“I think through this whole tournament I was really calm,” Williams said. “I practiced so hard. Not just this week, but for like 6 months. I think it’s now showing.”
Copyright 2014 AFP