Serena runs away from Stephens in rematch

Sep 02, 2013 Sports

NEW YORK — In the rematch between Serena Williams and Sloane Stephens, it ended up not being as much of a match as everyone had hoped.
Williams, who lost to Stephens in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, dominated the second set on the way to a 6-4, 6-1 victory in the fourth round of the U.S. Open.

Serena Williams, right, shakes hands with Sloane Stephens after wrapping up a 6-4, 6-1 victory. Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY

Williams, the defending champion, will face Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain next.
After she served out the match, in 1 hour, 28 minutes, Williams rushed to the net for what appeared to be a warm handshake. There were smiles from each, the 31-year-old 16-time Grand Slam champ, and the 20-year-old rising star.
“It definitely felt like a really big match, because Sloane is such a great player,” Williams said in an on-court interview.
There was big buildup to the match, not only because it was a clash of Americans of different generations at the top of the game.
Following the Australian Open, a brouhaha erupted over comments Stephens’ made in a magazine article — calling Williams a phony, among other things. Even though Williams, at least publicly, stayed above the fray, there was clear tension.
Williams served well, especially when she needed to, and controlled the points. But the match was close through 4-4 in the first set. From there, Williams won eight of the last nine games. The 15th-seeded Stephens had 29 unforced errors.
“I thought I played good. There were times I played some really good tennis,” Stephens said. “Second set got away from me a little bit, but overall I thought I played great.”
Stephens, though still looking for her first WTA title, delivered a strong Grand Slam season. She was one of only three players, including Williams (and No. 3 seed Agnieszka Radwanska), to reach the fourth round in all four.
But having Williams on her side of the draw isn’t ideal.
“Yeah, it’s tough. But everyone has their time to shine,” Stephens said. “I think she’s obviously No. 1 in the world for a reason.
“Maybe one day when she’s not playing people would be, Maybe I wish I wasn’t on the same side as Sloane. … Things happen in their time. It’s an honor to be able to play on the court with one of the greatest tennis players of all time.”