Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times
So much has changed in tennis and beyond since Serena Williams last faced Maria Sharapova on a tennis court in January 2016.
But one thing clearly has not changed. Sharapova, much to her regret, remains Williams’s tennis muse, bringing out the very best in Williams’s power game on a remarkably regular basis.
Monday night’s first-round mismatch at the United States Open was thus a throwback, as Williams crushed the suspense early by timing her shots beautifully.
Her 6-1, 6-1 victory required just 59 minutes and was her 19th straight triumph over Sharapova, a former No.