TENNIS WTA CINCINNATI – Serena Williams can finally say that her name is written on the Cincinnati title trophy as she took out 9th seed Ana Ivanovic 6-4 6-1 in just over an hour. Cordell Hackshaw
There are few top tournaments on the WTA tour where world’s number 1, Serena Williams has not hoisted the trophy at some point in her career. In fact, at most of these events, Williams is a multiple winner. However, the Western & Southern Open is a different affair. Williams had never made the final until last year and had yet to win the title. This year, Williams can finally say that her name is written on the Cincinnati title trophy as she took out 9th seed Ana Ivanovic 6-4 6-1 in just over an hour. “It was definitely the best performance of the [summer] hopefully not the last,” Williams later stated.
As have been a recent pattern for Williams, she started this match in half gear. She was flat and listless on the court. She was seemingly pushing the balls to Ivanovic’s favourite wing, her forehand and paying dearly for this error. Williams spoke about this point in the match, “I think 1 3 or something like that, and I’m not sure if I was down a break or what. She could have been up 4 1. She was obviously at that point playing so well.” Her fans might have been worried but not Williams. She just stepped up her intensity and produced superior tennis. She saved break point to hold for 2-3 and then broke Ivanovic at love in the 6th game to level it at 3-3. At this point, a totally different player was across the net from Ivanovic. Williams went on a tear, winning the next 9 of 11 games to take the match 6-4 6-1.
Ivanovic had no answers. Perhaps it was the lingering effect of fatigue from the marathon match she played against Maria Sharapova in the semifinal but she could do nothing to stop the onslaught from Williams. “[A]t some point of the match actually felt quite embarrassed walking from one side to the other for returns,” Ivanovic later stated. She was only winning 50% behind her 1st serve and 40% on her 2nd serve. This was coupled with 21 errors including 4 double faults to only 13 winners. Williams on the other hand had 12 aces, won 80% of her 1st serve points and 52% on her 2nd serve. She had 26 winners to 13 errors. Williams stated, “This is definitely a level that could take me to the [US Open] title. I still have a lot of work to do, but I think my serve was doing a lot better.” With this title, Williams has her 5th title of the year, 62nd career overall. She also cements her place at the top of the US Open Series earning herself a chance to win an extra million dollars if she can secure a third consecutive US Open title.
