Former world number 1 and 23 time grand slam champion, Serena Williams has defeated Sloane Stephens at their 3rd round match in a very tough and tiring encounter to proceed to the fourth round at the ongoing US Open.
It was not an easy encounter as Serena had to fight hard from a set down to claim a resounding victory over her fellow American Stephens and has set up a fourth round meeting with Maria Sakkari .
Serena is no stranger to Sakkari as they both met at the Western and Southern Open event, a WTA tournament just before the US Open and it was infact Sakkari that knocked out Serena in the competition.
The win over Sloane Stephens for Serena didn’t come easy as Stephens took the 1st set and she was beginning to put Serena in an uncomfortable position and she made her work all over the court, hitting base line shorts and Serena was showing early nerves in the first set which she lost 6-2.
The Second set saw Serena upping her game and getting the precise shorts and she was soon in the lead which she held on to immediately turn the tide in her favour as she took the 2nd set and she cruised to victory 2-6 6-2 6-2 in the third and final set as he little daughter watches on from the empty stands at the US Opens.
Serena’s next round opponent is in a great mood and on form right now as she wasted no time in dispersing her 3rd round opponent, Sakkari, did in in just under an hour as she defeats Amanda Anisimova earlier at the other 3rd round match up inside the Louis Armstrong Stadium to set up a fourth round meeting with Serena Williams
It would be left to see if Serena would be able to get past Sakkari in this one and keeps up the quest for the 24th Grand Slam title.
In other 3rd round match ups at the US Open, 19-year-old Naomi Osaka gave it her all to see off Marta Kostyuk 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 and progress into the fourth round of the US Open. The 2018 US Open Champion has continued her good run and would be meeting either of Magda Linette or Anett Kontaveit in the fourth round.
