Serena Williams vs. Amra Sadikovic: Score and Reaction from 2016 Wimbledon
Serena Williams’ quest for a seventh Wimbledon title got off to a trouble-free start, as she coasted past Amra Sadikovic 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.
The Centre Court crowd saw the top seed and reigning champion turn in an emphatic display against her opponent, who is ranked 148th in the world. After failing to go all the way at the French Open and Australian Open earlier in the year, Williams preserved a steely focus throughout as she begins her pursuit of a 22nd Grand Slam title.
Next up for the 34-year-old will be compatriot Christina McHale, who beat Daniela Hantuchova earlier in the day.
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Easy Work for Williams
Facing Williams first up on Centre Court on Day 2 must be a daunting proposition for any player in the world. But Sadikovic, to her credit, seemed to enjoy the nascent stages of the contest.
The Swiss forced two break points in the opening game, with the champion a little slow to get going. They were both saved, and after going on to win the game, Williams slowly started to turn the screw.
Indeed, she broke immediately and consolidated before Sadikovic eventually stemmed Williams’ building momentum after a well-fought hold in the fourth game. Nevertheless, the chasm in quality was clear.
Professional tennis player Nicole Gibbs had some positive words for Sadikovic pre-match but as the top seed started to take control, quickly changed her mind:
"BBC commentators showing no love to Sadikovic pre match, but she's a dangerous player!! Looking forward to this matchup.
— Nicole Gibbs (@Gibbsyyyy) June 28, 2016"
"OK, Queen doing her Queen thing.
— Nicole Gibbs (@Gibbsyyyy) June 28, 2016"
The world No. 148 did continue to battle for the remainder of the first set and forced two more break points in the fifth game. But Williams continued to show her composure; eventually she broke Sadikovic in the eighth game, sealing the first set by a 6-2 scoreline.
As ESPN Tennis’ Chris McKendry noted at the conclusion of the first stanza, once she gets her nose in front in the big tournaments, Williams is extremely difficult to reel in:
Sadikovic didn’t read that particular script, however, as she came out strong again at the start of the second set. After holding serve, this time she did manage to break Williams and move 2-1 ahead.
The 21-time Grand Slam winner always seemed to have something extra in reserve, though. So it was little surprise she came out aggressively in the fourth game and put the set back on serve with some big hitting.
After the exchange of breaks, both players began to find a better rhythm on serve, with the Swiss growing in confidence as the match went on. With the second set much tighter, as USA Today's Nick McCarvel noted, this one was in danger of becoming tricky for the champion:
Yet after Williams served to go 5-4 in front, the result seemed inevitable. She has made a career out of turning on the style at these key points, and she capitalised on her nervy opponent to break serve, clinching the match in the process.
“I never underestimate anyone, [it was a] really good match, I don’t think tougher than I thought but it was definitely tough,” said the champion afterwards, per BBC Sport, who was also delighted to see her mum in the Royal Box. “It is great to be back, my mom was in the Royal Box and now I need to get my dad out here.”
It was a pretty fuss-free afternoon for the veteran, who showed all her experience in getting this match finished in such an efficient way. Sadikovic was diligent, determined and didn’t look overawed by the occasion; she simply didn’t have the tools to go toe-to-toe with one of the all-time Wimbledon greats.
Williams was able to nullify a potentially dangerous opponent here and showed the SW19 crowd exactly why she’ll be a major force once again this year. Players such as Garbine Muguruza, Agnieszka Radwanska and Angelique Kerber are well-fancied for glory in 2016, but the American is still very much the Queen of Centre Court.
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