Serena Williams blitzed her way into the second week of the US Open with a 60-minute demolition of Sweden’s Johanna Larsson despite never really getting out of second gear.
Williams cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 win inside Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday but always looked like she had a lot more in the tank against a player who was consistent but unthreatening.
Larsson had nothing in her arsenal to hurt the 22-time Slam champion, and if Serena was going to struggle, it was going to be on her terms. Almost half of the total points played were decided by either a Williams' winner or unforced error, with the American ripping 24 winners to 17 miscues. By contrast, the Swede only made 11 errors, but her five errors highlighted her inability to land anything other than glancing body blows to the six-time US Open champ.
Williams, who turns 35 in three week's time, jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first set, controlling the majority of the rallies against a player who seemed more content with scrambling to get balls back in play than doing any real damage herself.
There were times when Williams looked lethargic, almost disinterested, and after lunging at a forehand and missing a short ball in the middle of the court, she slapped her left thigh, almost as if she was telling herself to bend her legs and keep them moving.
A beautiful backhand drop shot that barely cleared the net gave Williams a 5-2 lead, and the top seed returned a Larsson drop shot over the low part of the net to secure the opening set.
The match continued to lack any real energy in the second stanza, but there was only going ot be one winner. Williams, dressed in a white-and-pink dress with two neon pink compression sleeves on her arms, broke at 2-1 and again at 4-1, and she served it out to love to book her place in the fourth round.
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