World number one Serena Williams showed to the world why she’s the person to beat at the US Open 2013 Championships after she decimated former Grand Slam champion Francesca Schiavone 6-0, 6-1 in just one hour at the opening round on Monday night at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Williams lost just six points during her first set 6-0 run. She eventually won a total of ten straight games before Schiavone got on board at 6-0, 4-1. However, that’s the only time she’ll earn a game as Williams went on to close the next two games, and the match.
“I was just trying to be focused,” Williams said. “When you go against a former Grand Slam champion, meaning just a year and a half ago, two years ago – she was in the finals of the French, then she won the French – it’s not very easy to see your name on the draw like that, so you have to be very serious.
“She’s a great competitor. I think she played really well. I think the scoreline had nothing to do with the match. I was just able to win some very key points. But it definitely wasn’t very easy out there.
“We were both grunting and running and fighting.”
Schiavone, the 2010 French Open champion, was seen hugging one of the ballpeople early in the second set.
“A hug? No. I didn’t need a hug in that moment. I needed a game, points – I didn’t need the hug.”
Williams will face Galina Voskoboeva in the second round. Voskoboeva defeated Monica Niculescu in straight sets. Williams won her only encounter with Voskoboeva in Rome claycourts last year.
