US Open Tennis 2014: Day 14 Results, Highlights and Scores Recap from New York
Serena Williams put on a display of dominance on Sunday. She captured her 18th Grand Slam championship and her sixth U.S. Open title with a 6-3, 6-3 win over her good friend Caroline Wozniacki.
When the match was over Wozniacki thanked and congratulated Williams during the post-match interview:
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The two women's friendly relationship was a topic of discussion leading into the women's finale, but on the court, Williams was all business. Here's a look at match point and Williams' emotional reaction.
When Williams finished off her masterpiece, respect and adulation poured in from Twitter:
She used a dominant serve and an extraordinarily sound return game to leave no doubt in this one. In Williams' two previous meetings with Wozniacki this year, the young Dutch star pushed the world No. 1 to three sets.
A poised and determined Williams wouldn't let things come to that on Sunday, though. Williams looked more relaxed throughout this tournament than in any other this year.
That demeanor carried over into the final. Facing criticism, rumors and doubts (h/t Chris Chase of USA Today) after falling short in all three of the previous Grand Slam tournaments leading up to the U.S. Open, Williams had all the fuel needed to motivate her to prove the doubters wrong.
Not only did Williams bring her normal strong serve, but she also won the long rallies. Williams had only seven aces in the match, but she kept Wozniacki off balance with it throughout.
The world No. 1 also had 21 winners on rallies.
The win pushed her head-to-head record with Wozniacki to 9-1. Williams' place in history was secured well before she came up with today's awesome performance, but the more she wins, the more she looks like one of the two or three best women's players to ever play the game.
The 18 major titles tied Williams for the fourth most in women's tennis history with Martina Navratilova. Williams trails only Chris Evert, Helen Wills Moody, Steffi Graf and Margaret Court in that category. Her six U.S. Open titles is tied for third with Evert.
Only Court and Molla Bjurstedt Mallory have won more U.S. Open titles.
Williams will turn 33 on Sept. 26. That's far beyond the age when most players would experience a real falloff.
After running roughshod through the field in New York without dropping a set, it seems feasible that she could catch Graf in Grand Slam singles. The German great won 22. With a strong 2015, Williams could again be on the cusp of history.
One thing is for sure: It isn't a good idea to doubt her.
Wozniacki deserves a lot of respect for battling not only through tough times this year, but also against a legendary opponent. The way Williams played on Sunday, the match could have easily ended 6-1, 6-0, but Wozniacki never gave up.
She'll be better moving forward for what she endured this year in her personal life, and for the experience of having faced an all-time great.
Match stats ber U.S.Open official website.
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