Serena Williams triumphed over Maria Sharapova in a US Open first-round contest as one-sided as their 15-year rivalry.
Williams, the 23-time grand slam champion, has now won 20 of their 22 meetings following a thumping 6-1 6-1 victory.
It was the pair’s first encounter since January 2016, and was all the more eagerly-anticipated after Williams pulled out of a scheduled meeting at last year’s French Open through injury.
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Sharapova is nowhere near the player who beat Williams in the 2004 Wimbledon final – and also won their next match the same year – but despite the scoreline she did not play at all badly.
The Russian, 32, got a healthy 73 per cent of her first serves in. One fierce cross-court winner on the run even had Williams applauding.
But Sharapova could barely lay a glove on Williams, who turns 38 this month and remains tantalisingly within touching distance of Margaret Court’s record of 24 major titles.
Victory was wrapped up when a Sharapova return floated long after only 59 minutes.
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Elsewhere, Johanna Konta had some A-list backing as she battled into round two.
Avengers star Tom Hiddleston, currently starring in Betrayal on Broadway, was in the British number one’s box following a chance meeting in New York.
And after two hours the end game arrived for Russian Daria Kasatkina as Konta progressed 6-1 4-6 6-2.
Konta is already Britain’s sole representative in the women’s singles after Harriet Dart bowed out.
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Londoner Dart, who came through three rounds of qualifying to reach the main draw for the first time, lost 6-3 6-1 to Romanian Ana Bogdan.
Dan Evans became the first British male through after a four-set win over Adrian Mannarino of France.
The British number two, who reached the third round on his last visit to Flushing Meadows three years ago, triumphed 6-4 6-3 2-6 6-3 in a shade over three hours.
Cameron Norrie followed Evans onto Court 10 but could not follow his fellow Brit into round two.
The 24-year-old saved two match points before taking French qualifier Gregoire Barrere into a fifth set, and then twice served for the match.
But Barrere forced a tie-break and Norrie bowed out after a gruelling four-hour marathon, 7-6 (4) 6-4 4-6 6-7 (5) 7-6 (2).
Source: TalkSport.com Tennis
