Sport
U.S. Open 2014: Serena Williams overwhelms Taylor Townsend
Serena Williams (l) hugs Taylor Townsend (r) after their round 1 match of the U.S. Open, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2014. PHOTO/Darron Cummings/AP
Serena Williams began her bid for a third consecutive U.S. Open title with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over fellow American Taylor Townsend on Tuesday night.
Afterward, Williams was asked whether she changed anything about her preparation for this tournament – which she has won 5 times overall.
“I have decided I am not going to overthink it. I think I have overthought every Grand Slam so far this year. It didn’t really work out great for me,” Williams said. “So worst-case scenario, I’m just going to stay positive and do the best I can. That’s all I can do.”
The No. 1-ranked and No. 1-seeded Williams’ best was pretty good in the all-American matchup against Townsend, an 18-year-old who is ranked 103rd and was given a wild card into the draw.
Williams made only eight unforced errors and needed only 55 minutes to wrap up the victory.
She is trying to become the first woman to win the U.S. Open three years in a row since Chris Evert took four straight trophies from 1975-78.
Not since 2006 has Williams failed to reach at least one final at a year’s four Grand Slam tournaments. But she lost in the fourth round at the Australian Open, the second round at the French Open, and the third round at Wimbledon.
Townsend acknowledged afterward she was a tad overwhelmed by the occasion. Not only was this her U.S. Open debut, but she was facing a 17-time major champion under the lights in Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest arena in Grand Slam tennis.
“It was just a lot of different emotions and feelings that were coming. It was hard to deal with,” said Townsend, who beat a seeded player en route to reaching the third round at the French Open in her Grand Slam debut this year.
After losing Tuesday, Townsend referred to her 32-year-old opponent as one of her “tennis idols.”
“She’s an African-American woman from Compton, California, who has won 17 or 16 Grand Slam titles. Like, who would have thought? Anything is possible. She’s paved the way for me and not only African American girls but girls in general, people in general,” Townsend said. “Just has changed the game of tennis. I think I’ve just learned, like, from her story that anything is possible.”
Source: Associated Press