WHAT HAPPENED: A subdued but sensational Serena Williams put on her best performance of 2018 – and one of the best of her decorated career – to power past sister Venus, 6-1, 6-2, Friday night in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Serena bossed the most anticipated matchup of the US Open fortnight from start to finish, troubling Venus with an unstoppable onslaught of power, precision and depth in a thoroughly dominant display that harkened back to her pre-pregnancy reign at the top of the women’s game.
“This was my best match since I returned,” she said in her on-court interview. “I worked for it. I worked really hard these last three or four months."
The first talking point came in the second game, when Serena rolled her right ankle while scrambling behind the baseline on her first break point of the match. She turned her back to the court as she stood motionless for an extended break, assessing the damage before motioning for the trainer.
Venus won the next three points to hold from 15-40, but Serena walked to her chair with a 2-1 lead before having her ankle re-taped during a medical timeout. Any concern was quickly quieted as she won eight of the next 11 points to take a 4-1 lead.
As is often the case when the sisters square off, there was a subdued atmosphere on court, but a lively 16-point game on the Venus serve ratcheted up the energy. Sensing Serena’s dominance, the evening Ashe crowd roared in approval when Venus won one of the longest points of the match at deuce. But Serena, who roped an 87-mph return winner on a 79-mph second serve earlier in the game, made it 5-1 with a crosscourt forehand pass after an awkward net cord drew her sister into the net.
Instead of offering an apology, Serena gave a rare show of emotion with a fierce fist pump. She rode the momentum to a love hold to end the set, capped off with a 103-mph ace.
There was little Venus could do to prevent a repeat performance in set two, but three unforced errors in her opening service game put her in another early hole from which Serena offered no hope of escape.
Serena pumped her fist for a second time on the night when her 10th ace brought up match point, and a vintage serve-forehand combination ended the match on her 33rd winner.
WHAT IT MEANS: Serena scoffed at the idea that she was the tournament’s favorite coming in. But three matches into her US Open return, the 23-time Grand Slam champion looked like one as she handled Venus, a 2017 semifinalist, with ease.
"I think it's the best match she ever played against me," Venus said in a post-match press conference. "I don't think I did a lot wrong. But she just did everything right. Obviously that level is definitely where she's going to want to stay during this whole tournament."
Behind a 29-for-33 win rate on her first serve, Serena would have been untouchable on this night, no matter who had the misfortune of standing opposite her.
She will now play Kaia Kanepi – who upset world No. 1 Simona Halep on Monday – in Round 4 as she looks to stop the Estonian from reaching the quarterfinals for the second straight year.
MATCH POINT: Serena and Venus have now squared off 30 times in their professional careers, with Serena holding an 18-12 edge after tonight. Friday’s third-round showdown was the 18th time that they met in a non-final match. Of the seven times Serena has won such encounters, she has gone on to win the title five times.
