Perhaps Serena Williams started to feel her age when 15-year-old American Catherine Bellis staged the upset of the U.S. Open in the afternoon over 12th seed Dominika Cibulkova. But capping the night card, Serena Williams destroyed another prospect — the 18-year-old serve-and-volley lefty from Chicago, Taylor Townsend. It was 6-3, 6-1 in a first-round match lasting 55 minutes.
The stocky Townsend was too wild and couldn’t dent Williams’ powerhouse serve, mishitting returns all over Ashe Stadium. Serena lost just five points on her serve and held at love to close the match after hearing a bored fan shout: “Serena, will you marry me?’’
Williams still praised Townsend’s future and remarked about Bellis’ upset. Williams noted she won her first Open 15 years ago, just a few months after Bellis was born.
“Taylor is incredibly talented, just so good, and a great person,’’ Williams said. “We have so many wonderful Americans. We have such an amazing future.’’
Townsend, a wild-card entrant ranked 103rd but who made the French Open’s third round, held to start the match as Serena knocked the spin serve long. But Williams eventually caught up with the different bounce. Serena simply overpowered Townsend, who chose to advance to the net at the wrong times. She won just 5 of 13 points at the net.
“It was a lot of different emotions and feelings that were hard to deal with, playing against one of my tennis idols,’’ said Townsend, who recalled being in the nosebleed seats of Ashe as a kid in 2008 watching Serena. “I did my best and I left the court laughing and smiling. I did a lot of good things on the court, though the score didn’t reflect it.’’