Serena Williams was so dominant in the first round of the US Open, her opponent really needed a hug.
So midway through the second set of defending champion Williams’ 6-0, 6-1 victory on Monday night, Francesca Schiavone wandered behind the baseline, found a ball boy and enveloped him in a full-fledged embrace.
It was that kind of evening for Schiavone, an often-demonstrative player who is certainly no pushover: She won the 2010 French Open, and was the runner-up at that Grand Slam tournament a year later. She’s been ranked as high as No. 4 but is 54th this week.
The No. 1-ranked Williams was nearly perfect, making only eight unforced errors, compared with a 13-3 edge in winners, hitting serves faster than 185kph, and taking the first 10 games.