Heavyweight Fight, Serena TKOs Sloane In The 3rd

September 7, 2020,

Schedule watching ahead of time, in any sport, is not a good idea. You have to stay in the present to muster all of your resources, physical and mental, to defeat your current opponent.

As the expression goes, don’t look ahead.

You have to wonder though, when both former US Open Champions Serena Williams and Sloane Stephens looked at their draw, they had to notice that their meeting could be a near future destination.

In the third round at a major.

That is very early on the road to a title fight.

Both come in with heavyweight credentials.

Sloane achieved a career-best ranking of No. 3 in the world after Wimbledon in 2018. Stephens was the 2017 US Open champion, and has won six WTA singles titles in total.

Heavyweight stature for certain.

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Serena’s credentials need a drumroll ahead of time.

Our mega super star and former world No. 1 in women’s single tennis, has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most by any player in the Open Era, and the second-most of all time behind Margaret Court (24).

Did you let that one soak in for a second?

Maybe ten seconds.

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) ranked her world No. 1 in singles on eight separate occasions between 2002 and 2017. She reached the No. 1 ranking for the first time on July 8, 2002. On her sixth occasion, she held the ranking for 186 consecutive weeks, tying the record set by Steffi Graf. In total, she has been No. 1 for 319 weeks, which ranks third in the Open Era among female players behind Graf and Martina Navratilova.

She is the most recent female player to have held all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously (2002–03 and 2014–15) and the third player to achieve this twice, after Rod Laver and Graf.

With that being said (after taking a deep breath), you can understand why Ms. Stephens might take a peek at the third round matchup.

What may give Sloane hope is that much of the glorious salad in Serena’s champion’s bowl has happened a few years ago. Lately, and understandably after giving birth to her child, by Serena Williams standards, she has struggled.

Her last Grand Slam title was the 2017 Australian Open.

Her last US Open title was back in 2014.

At 38 years old, Serena is still extremely dangerous, but no longer feared.

So if Sloane can play at her highest level, she has a shot.

The first set began with Serena serving. The gargantuan stadium, due to the current pandemic is void of fans and eerily quiet.

Eleven American women made the third round. Two of them are here. What that means is that given the talent level, any top player needs to get off to a quick start. The depth is just too deep.

Serena has a stellar serving game, including smashing an ace down the middle and holds 1-0.

Already this feels like a semi-final match. Not one relegated to the third round.

Serena comes in confident having enjoyed a sheltering in off season to reset.

Stephens serves well and quietly efficient. It is now knotted at 1-1.

The announcers ponder, if Sloane can draw Serena into longer rallies and control the middle of the court; that would work greatly in her favor.

Good idea.

It won’t be easy. It has been almost a year since Sloane played a top 20 player.

Serena is starting to over hit. A little tense and trying to do a little too much.

Stephens breaks 2-1.

Ms. Stephens has taken a Serena punch and didn’t blink. Sloane is now serving at 91 percent and holds 3-1.

Sloane’s game plan is working to perfection as she is making Serena hit every ball an extra time.

She is simply out grounding Serena.

Sloane breaks again and is up 5-2.

Serena’s only hope is to get that first serve in with angles and power. It is her best weapon otherwise if they get into a ground war, at least today, Sloane has too many angles and weapons.

Sloane at this point has 11 winners to only 5 unforced errors.

Serena is struggling in her movement. Sloane easily wins the first set 6-2.

The two champions take a pause.

We fans take a pause.

The crowd doesn’t pause because there isn’t one. If there were, they would be madly cheering for, US Open style, in a frenzy, for Serena to get back in the fight or this one could be over quick.

We are wondering about certain recent familiarities that others may be thinking.

Serena is struggling on the ground more than ever.

Her current game appears to revolve around the dynamics of her serve. She has got to hit some master blasters to keep the top players at bay.

Too, there seems to a pattern of late for Serena to over hit and make too many unforced errors.

Having said all of that, we should remind ourselves, she is not the greatest player of all time without reason.

Never count her out.

That becomes evident as the second set begins. Serena is serving with fierce determination. She rockets two aces and is up 1-0.

Sloane doesn’t blink but we do sense she knows this will not be like the first set. Regardless, she holds at 1-1.

The announcers suggest that Serena would have more success if she could alter her game and hit down the middle.

Good advice but a moot point when Serena is serving well, and she is. Serena holds 2-1.

Serena is starting to take big cuts and making unforced errors. She makes it an easy hold for Sloane. Now 2-2.

Serena really needs the crowd. Part of Serena’s game is feeding off the crowd. It also affects her opponents. She’ll have to find that within herself.

Serena had to really work to hold but does and is up 3-2. That was a very long and important game. Serena needs to keep things steady and, down a set, hope for an opening.

It’s time for Serena to do what she does best and take it to the next level. She does.

Sloane loves the long rallies. In the first set, she practically owned all of them. This set is different. Serena is staying in the long rallies and keeps fighting. It pays off and she gets the break.

Serena leads 4-2.

Serena is starting to connect on her shots and begins to overpower Sloane with big serves and backs it up on the ground.

She is rewarded is now up 5-2.

Serena remains intense. It’s not even close anymore. She is starting to out hit Sloane. She then blasts a screaming cross court winner and takes the second set.

This is why it’s called a heavy weight fight. The big time players are going to trade blows. Just because Serena lost the first set due to Sloane playing almost perfectly, doesn’t mean she was going to pack it in.

Each woman has a set, Serena winning the second 6-2.

It was easy to doubt Serena after watching her not be able to match Sloane on the ground and lose the first set.

That is still a mistake. Even at 38.

The fifth set is all Serena as Sloane begins to spray balls and Serena continues to rocket aces and hit winners.

It is not even close.

Serena wins the match 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.

It is time to bow down to Serena Williams.