What she did have was a clear game plan. In a matchup of the oldest player remaining in the tournament (35) versus the youngest (18), Venus crushed the rising star Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, 6-3, 6-4.
Williams set out to dictate the match from the start. She hit with excellent depth; served big, winning 83 percent of her first-serve points; and most important, was aggressive at every opportunity. She jumped all over Bencic’s weak second serve and smothered the net, striding forward 22 times and winning an emphatic 18 of those points. In an extremely clean performance, Williams struck 31 winners and committed just 15 unforced errors.
Williams, who was inconsistent and a bit shaky in her first two rounds, twice letting her opponent back in the match and having to survive long three-setters, had no such problems on Friday afternoon.
Williams, who was inconsistent and a bit shaky in her first two rounds, twice letting her opponent back in the match and having to survive long three-setters, had no such problems on Friday afternoon.
Although she surrendered serve early in the second set, a focused Williams quickly rebounded, breaking Bencic twice and confidently closing out the match with an ace to seal the straight-sets victory and passage into the fourth round.
“It’s never over ‘til it’s over,” Williams told ESPN’s Pam Shriver on-court after the victory.
When asked what it means still to be doing well 18 years after her first appearance in the final at the US Open, Williams playfully responded, “Why do you have to bring all that stuff up? You make me feel old.”
When asked what it means still to be doing well 18 years after her first appearance in the final at the US Open, Williams playfully responded, “Why do you have to bring all that stuff up? You make me feel old.”
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario