Story highlights
Serena Williams makes short work of Johanna Larsson at US Open
Victory was Williams 307th in a grandslam event
Williams moves into last 16 of tournament
Serena Williams swept aside Johanna Larsson in round three of the US Open Saturday with an impressive display of powerful and aggressive tennis.
The world No.1 took the match on the Arthur Ashe court 6-2 6-1 in just 59 minutes and in the process marked her 307th victory in a grandslam tournament, more than any other woman in the history of the sport.
Dressed in a pink and white version of the “superhero” outfit she donned in rounds one and two, Williams later described the fluorescent sleeves covering her arms as her “Wonder Woman” attire.
Yet Wonder Woman, Superwoman or Catwoman would have struggled to do a better job of dismantling her opponent on the court.
Williams broke Larsson’s serve twice in the first set, striking 13 winners and firmly asserting her authority.
The 22-time grandslam winner then broke her Swedish opponent twice more in the second set to close out the win.
Williams dominance towards the end was emphasized by the fact she reeled off the last 14 points of the match in a row.
When asked about her 307th grandslam win later, one more than Martina Navratilova, Williams bashfully said “that’s pretty awesome … what better place to do it than here,” referring to the venue where she claimed her first grandslam title way back in 1999.
Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska will join Williams in the last 16 after she dispatched Caroline Garcia of France 6-2, 6-3 earlier Saturday.
Radwanska will face the winner of the match between Ana Konjuh of Croatia or Varvara Lepchenko.
Elsewhere Saturday, Simona Halep saw off Timea Babos 6-1 2-6 6-4 to move into the last 16 where she will face Carla Suarez Navarro who defeated Elena Vesnina 6-4 6-3.
In the men’s draw, birthday Boy Dominic Thiem fought back from a first set mauling to defat Pablo Carreno Busta 1-6 6-4 6-4 7-5.
Meanwhile, Juan Martin Del Potro saw off the challenge of David Ferrer 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 6-3.