Serena WINS! The Queen of Queens lives to fight another day as she lights up Arthur Ashe with a commanding sets victory over Danka Kovinic in the first round of the US Open.
- Serena Williams defeated Danka Kovinic 6-3, 6-3 at the US Open on Monday
- The American star sealed a second-round match against Anett Kontaveit
- The 40-year-old tennis great is expected to retire after the tournament
- Williams delighted a packed Arthur Ashe crowd that featured an array of stars
By Mike Dickson for the Daily Mail
Posted: 21:56, August 29, 2022 | Updated: 03:19, 30 August 2022
The Big Apple came to say goodbye to Serena Williams, only to find out she’s staying a little longer at the US Open.
The 40-year-old American, who gradually raised her level after a shaky start, defeated Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic to survive the second round.
Rising in quality and supported as never before by her serve, Williams delighted a huge crowd with a 6-3 6-3 victory in exactly 100 minutes.
That earned her a match against second seed Anett Kontaveit of Estonia, who may be less forgiving and bring down the curtain on an epic run (although Williams will play doubles alongside her sister Venus).
With a post-match ceremony planned, the immediate buildup was somewhat low-key, featuring a performance by a Ukrainian choir and a rendition of the national anthem.
The packed crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium was eager to catch a glimpse of the star of the show, with numerous celebrities in the house. Bill Clinton, Spike Lee and Mike Tyson were among those who witnessed what could be a pivotal moment in sports history.
Williams took a big hit in a sequined black tennis dress, and the question was how she would react to an occasion unlike anything even she had ever known.
Serena Williams beat Danka Kovinic in straight sets in the first round of the US Open on Monday
The tennis great wowed a packed crowd at the Arthur Ashe crowd at Flushing Meadow
Rising in quality and supported as always by her serve, Williams coasted to victory
For all the burden of this evening it was, after the formalities, a tennis match. While he’s clearly been practicing hard and playing practice sets, there still wasn’t much competitive court time to go around.
His family was in force (though not father Richard). With her husband out of her seat to cheer her on from the start, there was no doubt she hadn’t lost.
Last time out in Cincinnati she was comfortably beaten by Emma Raducanu and the opening points were nervy as she faced two early break points.
The win in 100 minutes earned her a match against the second seed, Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit.
The American star took a big hit in a black Nike tennis dress with sequins
He gradually settled into a very mobile opponent who has also played little tennis of late due to back problems at Wimbledon.
Williams made it 2-0, but then the 27-year-old from Montenegro began to find her feet and began to benefit from the American’s forehand.
After getting back to 3-2, Kovinic got the match back with a double fault. There were six from Kovinic in the first set to five from Williams, but the American’s serve was generally strong enough to hold, and she saved eight break points in the first game.
The second set heralded a notable increase in the caliber of the contest, with both players shedding some early inhibitions.
After fighting back to a 3-2 lead, Kovinic (above) double-faulted the match.
Williams raced to a 2-0 lead, but the 27-year-old Kovinic began to find her feet and fight back.
Williams rose to the task and secured a break, reminding everyone of the incredible ball-striking ability he possesses. A scorching backhand pass took her to 5-3 and by now she was on her way, to the delight of the assembly.
A final backhand from Kovinic sparked a winning spin from the grand champion, who looked extremely formidable in the end. We will go over it again on Wednesday evening.
Later there was a video tribute from Oprah Winfrey, with Williams addressing the crowd.
“When you love something, it’s hard to walk away, but I think now is the time,” he said. ‘I have a family, other chapters of life, I call it evolution. I really want to spend more time at home, it’s like Serena 2.0’.
A late backhand from Kovinic allowed Williams to book her place in the second round
Billie Jean King led tributes to the greats at a ceremony celebrating Williams’ career
Relive all the action from the US Open clash between Serena Williams and Danka Kovinic with ISABEL BALDWIN’s Sportsmail live blog.