Regeln » st the 4th person to beat both Venus and SSerena Williams

NEW YORK -- If this is how Serena Williams serves when she cant practice properly because her right shoulder is sore, watch out when shes 100 percent healthy.A year after falling two wins short of a calendar-year Grand Slam by bowing out in the U.S. Open semifinals, Williams showed zero signs of shoulder trouble Tuesday night as she began her bid for a record-breaking 23rd major title.She hit 12 aces and reached 121 mph on her powerful serve during a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Ekaterina Makarova, a potentially tricky first-round opponent at Flushing Meadows.I was pleased with my serve, because I havent been hitting a lot of serves at all, the 34-year-old Williams said. In practice, none of them were going in, so I was definitely excited about that.Since equaling Steffi Grafs mark for most Grand Slam singles trophies in the Open era, which dates to 1968, by earning No. 22 at Wimbledon in July, the No. 1-ranked Williams had only entered one event -- the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, where she was upset in the third round. She cited a sore shoulder in withdrawing from a hard-court tournament a week later.Looked perfectly fine against Makarova, a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist who is ranked 29th and beat Williams in straight sets at the 2012 Australian Open.I knew today I needed to be focused because Ive played her. Shes gotten to the semifinals. She goes deep in majors. She knows how to play big matches on big courts. Shes not intimidated, Williams said. I knew I had to really come out today. It was my only option, really.Well, consider that done.Wearing black sleeves on each arm -- she called the accessories definitely functional because they keep my muscles warm -- Williams averaged 108 mph on first serves and won 17 of the first 20 points she served, 36 of 46 overall, never appearing to be the least bit bothered by anything.And she even figured maybe the time she couldnt spend serving during training sessions paid off, in a way, because she was forced to work on other aspects of her game, including footwork.I couldnt hit any balls. I wanted to stay fit, so ... I guess that kind of helped me out a little bit, she said.In 2015, Williams arrived at the U.S. Open having won four consecutive major titles for a self-styled Serena Slam. But had she won the championship in New York, too, she would have made it 4 for 4 within a single season, something no one had done since Graf in 1988.But that pursuit ended with a surprising semifinal loss to Roberta Vinci of Italy.Later, Williams acknowledged what was at stake had been a burden.Williams was asked Tuesday whether this edition of the U.S. Open might be a more pleasant experience than a year ago, without the same sort of history on the line.I had a great experience last year. I was going for something that no one has done in a really long time, she replied. Yeah, it didnt end out wonderful for me, or the way I wanted it to end, but it was all I could do. Thats all I could do. If I could make the semis this year, Id be excited about that.---Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrichOtis Sistrunk Raiders Jersey . Oaklands loss to Seattle clinched the ALs best record for the Red Sox with one day to spare in the regular season. "I think everybody was kind of watching," catcher David Ross said. "Demp (Ryan Dempster) came out before he went to the bullpen and was just yelling that they lost. Isaiah Johnson Raiders Jersey . Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51. https://www.raiderssportsgoods.com/Womens-Josh-Jacobs-Inverted-Jersey/ . Paul Pierce couldnt believe he missed at the end. Young scored a season-high 26 points to spark a huge effort from the leagues most productive bench, and Los Angeles beat the Brooklyn Nets 99-94 on Wednesday night after blowing a 27-point lead. George Blanda Womens Jersey . Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51. Jim Otto Womens Jersey . Hazard cut in from the left and scored with a swerving right-footed shot for ninth goal of the season, which proved to be enough for the victory despite Chelseas forwards again lacking a cutting edge up front.NEW YORK -- In less than 90 minutes, the trajectory of the US Open took a drastic turn. This courtesy of the red-hot racket belonging to Karolina Pliskova.?The 10th seed out-aced and outslugged Serena Williams throughout the match to reach the championship match. The result ended the Americans quest for an Open era record 23rd Grand Slam title.Here were the key elements:Tennis - Racket Response - Serena Williams out of the Open, loses No. 1 ranking https://t.co/0g7mFlpmeN- ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) September 9, 2016While Pliskova played the match of her life, Serena wasnt feeling up to par.?I was having some serious left knee problems, but I wasnt tired. Serena discusses injury following SF loss.https://t.co/oivERD5F0o- ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) September 9, 2016The result made us wonder: Does Serena still spark the same feeling of inevitability? Survey says ... not reallyNonetheless, it was Pliskova who made history of her own Thursday.?Karolina Pliskova is just the 4th person to beat both Venus and SSerena Williams in the same Grand Slam.dddddddddddd pic.twitter.com/yMhc826Xed- SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 9, 2016Even Serenas coach admired the handiwork from the talented Czech.Congratulations to Karolina Pliskova for a great summer and an amazing tournament. Good luck for the final.- PatrickMOURATOGLOU (@pmouratoglou) September 9, 2016But Thursday night at the US Open wasnt just about Pliskovas triumph and Serenas shortcomings. Angelique Kerber continued her amazing season by beating down Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets to reach the final.?Tennis - Lets take a moment to recognize Angelique Kerbers accomplishments https://t.co/w6ZmsrEehw- ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) September 9, 2016Which leads us to this ...The womens final is set: No. 10 seed Pliskova vs. new world No. 1 Kerber.#USOpen pic.twitter.com/KxUldEECjb- ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) September 9, 2016 ' ' '