Williams takes 10 of last 12 games, tops Stephens at US Open

In danger of her earliest exit at U.S. Open since her debut 22 years ago, Serena Williams turned things around and took over against Sloane Stephens. Williams emerged from third-round matchup between two Americans who are past champions at Flushing Meows she's won six of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles at place with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory over 2017 titlist Stephens on Saturday. Afterward, Williams' 3-year-old daughter, Olympia, wore a mask and waved at Mom while sitting on her far's lap in a front-row seat. On her way to locker room, Williams waved back.

I hope, Williams said, that she saw her mama fighting. Williams did it, as she so often does, with her best-in--game serve, hitting 12 aces at up to 122 mph as it got really dialed in midway through second set, and an ability to re-calibrate her groundstrokes that were so awry early and so superb down stretch.

She served a lot better, said Stephens, w 1-6 against Williams, although y hn't played each or since 2015. Obviously she has one of greatest serves in game. It's really difficult to re. Williams collected 10 of last 12 games by lifting her level, to be sure. But it helped that Stephens went from playing nearly perfectly to missing more and more.

Following mistakes, Stephens would look over at her coach, Kamau Murray, or smack her right thigh with her palm so loudly that it echoed through a nearly empty Arthur Ashe Stium."In that first set, I don't think she me any errors, honestly. She was playing so clean. I said, 'I don't want to lose in straight sets,' said Williams, whose only career U.S. Open loss before fourth round came in third against Irina Spirlea in 1998 at 16.

Williams, who turns 39 in three weeks, said she told herself Saturday: OK, Serena, just get a game. Get a game. re were, of course, fans banned because of coronavirus pandemic and so whole thing was flush with feel of a practice session, rar than a high-stakes contest on a Grand Slam st.

re were some or players on hand to watch, including 15th-seeded Maria Sakkari, who sipped orange juice and ate lunch while on her player suite's balcony. Sakkari h a vested interest: She faces Williams for a berth in quarterfinals. Or women into fourth round: . 16 Elise Mertens, . 20 Karolina Muchova and Tsvetana Pironkova, who defeated . 18 Donna Vekic 6-4, 6-1.

In men's action, 2019 runner-up Daniil Medvedev and ar semifinalist from a year ago, . 6 Matteo Berrettini moved on, as did . 10 Andrey Rublev, . 15 Felix Auger-Aliassime, . 21 Alex de Minaur and Vasek Pospisil, who's been in news lately because he teamed up with vak Djokovic to set up a new association to represent players. Pospisil eliminated . 8 Roberto Bautista Agut 7-5, 2-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, and next faced ar five-set winner, de Minaur, who defeated . 11 Karen Khachav 6-4, 0-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. Williams vs. Sakkari is a rematch of ir meeting won last month by Sakkari at

Western & Sourn Open, a hard-court tournament played at U.S. Open site inste of its usual home in Ohio because of pandemic.You kw, Serena is Serena," Sakkari said after vancing earlier Saturday by beating 19-year-old American Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 6-1. "You have to come up with some great tennis. Orwise re is chance against her. Stephens did that very thing in early sts Saturday.

She was playing patient, wait-for--right-moment tennis, creating lengthy, complicated points that more often than t ended with Williams blinking first. end of first set was met by total silence t even awkward, manufactured soundtrack piped in during or matches to simulate ambient ise.

From 2-all in second, Williams finally me inros. She saved a break point, n broke for first time when Stephens missed a forehand, part of a stretch in which Williams grabbed 12 of 15 points. She was on her way. And w she is four wins from ding to her Grand Slam trophy count, which has been at 23 since she won 2017 Australian Open while pregnant.

Asked Saturday what positives are about still being active on tour as a parent, Williams said: One day, your daughter can say she was re. Wher she remembers or t, we can always have pictures. But or than that, it's just (a) minus, like: I'm t with her, I'm t around her. It's hard. Williams has reached finals at four of past seven major tournaments, losing each time.We all hope she gets to it, Stephens said. If she is feeling pressure, I hope she releases it and gets to 24.

(Im Credit: AP)