Battle of Legends! ｜ Serena Williams vs. Maria Sharapova ｜ Iconic Full Match ｜ 2019 US Open Round 1).

So sit back. And enjoy this one. They were due to play at last year's French Open Roland Garros on the clay in Paris. So I'm not able to take the call back day with a problem with her right pectoral muscle. It's very early in her comeback. In the women's game and you certainly expect a level of intensity point in and point out. You hope to maybe see a high level of serving. Both these players at their best have that as a weapon. Her game unfolds. It's a lot of times behind her serve. That's her movement, allows her to be a lot quicker off the mark. Game William. Interested in challenging. Thursday and right out of the gate. I mean, you see from Serena little fist pump and she clearly. Understands how important these early games are. Obviously holding serve, giving herself a chance here. Perhaps get some looks at a break, but she does not want to get down early in this match. Yes, it doesn't matter that she's won at 19, but there are 21 meetings. It's still Maria Sharapova, five times a Grand Slam champion winner here back in 2006. It's still a formidable opponent that requires 100% concentration. So many players. There are opponents that they really don't like to lose to, and I think for Serena Sharapova is one of those opponents. I mean, you mentioned stemming back from Wimbledon. That was a tough loss back in 2004. Sharapova won her first Grand Slam. Champions don't forget they remember. Serena doesn't if she if she had a list on the on her fridge door, but the player that she least list of who she least likes to lose against Maria would be number one in bold capitals, wouldn't she? I think she'd be top of the list. It's great to see the 32 year old. She had a minor shoulder surgery in February this year, missed for five months, came back in the Yorker. They have grass courts in Spain these days who the thought. And it's been, you know, it's it's been slow progress for her. Also be a certain level of respect knowing how dangerous Sharapova can be, so that's also a factor. That's who Sharapova has been working with since Wimbledon. Yeah, he has a fantastic Academy very close to Monte Carlo, just over the border in Italy, and we were very surprised that she turned to PFT one of the great coaches. Famously, and he worked with so many wonderful Italian players over the years, but he was so important in Djokovic's formative years. If I'm Lubitsch, she worked with him. A young guy fleeing all the problems in in in the former Yugoslavia. Born a charge, he works with now. The 11th seed in the men's draw, but he is a top top coach. Interesting choice. Underestimate her out here. He's a very technical coach. Yes, on that you would imagine for Sharapova with the struggles she's had with her shoulder, the injury, the surgeries, you know, sometimes your technique kind of goes off a little bit. You start compensating when you have that pain, so it's a constant battle to make sure you have the right technique to try to make little adjustments. There's a real good talk. Looking at about Sharapova serve since Wimbledon that she is getting more unreturned. First serves 21% and it's up now to 35% of unreturned first serves. So far, Serena, she looks very smooth. Is it muscling the serve? That's a good sign for her. Look to capitalize on second serve, stepping in immediately, trying to put Serena on her heels. I love the way you described that that's really not muscling a serve and just letting it happen and you can see that very clearly in these early stages is a great sign for Williams. 14. After we went, I said it's not what you do. She was fine. I said it and it all went wrong. Hasn't probably had the amount of time on the practice court she's needed in recent weeks has had a problem with her back. Each other's tendencies. Definitely not going to be a lot of surprises in Sharapova reading that serve beautifully. When Serena can get Sharapova stretched out, the advantage goes. To her side of the court significantly. Have been drawn on server games. Two one perfect Alpernash Stadium dominating at the skyline of Flushing Meadows. Two great champions taking the court for the opening night session here. At the 2019 US Open. Love it. In these early stages of the match, we were seeing a very high percentage of first serves from Sharapova. Trying to use that serve to. Take control early in these rallies. Taking a little bit off of that first serve and she's close to 90% of her first serves in this first game and a half, and. It's definitely going to be recipe for success if she can continue, but still get the pace and the direction on that shot. Serena's movement has gotten better over the last couple of weeks, but it's still at times can be just a little bit sluggish, especially early in matches. Sharapova trying to take advantage of that. So much pressure on Sharapova when she has to throw that second serve in, just not a lot on it. Right in the middle of the box, it's like target practice for Serena. Holding on to that second serve. But not really matching Williams in the trade. Every chance here for the American. Struck by Serena. Williams. Three games to one. There's so much going on here at this year's US Open, and I tell you what you need is the US Open app which you can download for the latest scores and highlights and use and it's available in the App Store and the Google Play Store on tiny sort of Google Play Store is but something good I'm sure. Have you got Android? Educated me not just on Serena's serve and all things tennis, technical and Maria's ball tosses. She's with fantastic. Some of these shots and. It's giving Sharapova problems a few more unforced errors from Sharapova. His last service game. Under some pressure here. Good day. Just behind Patrick. Super duper mother supermodels in the 1980s and 90s but a brilliant businessman as well. Well, she looks sharp. She has so much time on some of these shots. And Mike Tyson as well. Who is a star is a huge tennis fan. I'll tell you, please, yes, yeah. So he's also hits like Gladys Knight is here. That's right, he loves their tennis. The Empress of Soul is in the house. Serena is serving up a tree quickly moving now into a 4-1 lead. Williams dominating this opening set. We are under the lights on the Arthur Ashe Stadium day one. Of this year's US Open. Of this first round match. Maria Sharapova, former champion here from a world number one. Already down an early break to an nemesis. Thank you. Gentlemen in the back of the board. Thank you. Love this game. Smart tennis arrived from Serena in that shot that forehand. Perfect rhythm gave herself space. Away from the sidelines. So important, I think that this match is being played under the lights because these two have the most fabulous records in this unique environment from 23,000 plus here on Ash. Baby. Night session matches that was last year actually to Carlos Suarez Navarro in the fourth round. And Serena's one more under the lights. Than any other player, male or female, more than Roger Federer. She owns this stage. A lot of margin over the net. Well, inside the lines and just get the sense she is playing right now. So well within herself and this is type of tennis she can play 2345 sets if needed. Another great point. Williams days five games to one. Listen, it really has been done in this opening set. It's one of those matches that you get the sense for Serena that she is not going to lose focus and Sharapova is going to have to do something more to get Serena out of this rhythm. Right now seems very unlikely, doesn't it? Just a few too many enforcers. 40 she's had to go for broke tonight. Serena looks so comfortable. Three set points. Very comfortable opening set. What can Sharapova do here? Started the second look at the clock less than half an hour they've been on court this evening. It's been lovely so far for Sharapova because she plays such a high risk game doesn't have quite as much spin. It's about a little bit flatter. And she's trying to get the depth, but it's caused more errors and more mistakes. Tyson, he knew how to throw in some knockout punches. That's certainly what Serena is looking to do here if she can get the early break of serve. So. These two played on three sets. Only five of those occasions. Terms of the scores of some of these matches or the disaster for Maria is that at the US Open only twice. In 91 matches, Serena Williams lost a match when she has won the opening set. Former champion. Ladies and gentlemen, the players each week please thank you. For the stats, all the numbers. Stacking up against Sharapova right here. To do. More than she did, but overall, Sharapova's gotta compete a little bit better here. I mean, that's one of her strengths and an intangible. And right now the numbers are stacking up on Serena side, but. Searching for this gotta find a way somehow in some of these posts. Serena is so successful. She wins that first set as she understands how to stretch a lead. She she's a front runner. She plays even better when she's ahead in matches and Sharapova. She's gotta stick closer to her here in this second set. Not an easy task. Having dropped serve immediately. First. I've got a defense that Sharapova wearing the little band across her nose just to help her breathing. Just for the last two or three weeks that I've noticed him. As mentioned that it seemed to help. Looking for every advantage out there. There's some trouble again here. Yeah, well, it's really enjoying the voice to me. We've got operation. We're just trying to get to the second Venus by the way, those two players that have beaten Serena when Serena has won the first set here at the US Open. Would you want to have a guess? Well, for sure, the most famous one in Roberto Da Vinci, and that for sure I don't remember the lack the first one first time. It's Jennifer Capriati quarterfinal 2004. Wow, I had to. I'd love to get up. Nice two years later, the Hawkeye challenge came in and as you look round at the US Open, now it's on every single court. Imagine what that must cost over the fortnight. Doesn't matter where you are, though you have Hawkeye. It shouldn't be that court should have the same advantage stuck out on court 14 or I mean I don't think there's any bad court selling that's stunning but you are on a less high profile court why shouldn't you have the same access to technology? 30. Only the second double fault. The match for Sherpa over. Call David. Much better election from Sherpa, but getting a little more trajectory on those forehands still getting the depth. It's almost as if China when she sees. Serena down there into the court. She just overrev. She just maxes out on everything because that's what she feels she needs to do. From the former champion. She stayed in touch with Serena in charge, leading by a set and a break. Two games to one second second by one second. Flushing middle. On her heels a bit in the middle of that point got good angle in that last shot. How well Serena can serve a lot of it is the kick serve that she can throw in behind the big flat serve and that time it got out of Sheriff Kovac strike zone. Just held the once in her initial service game. Got a little opening here. She got ahead of that shot, perhaps thinking it was going to come at her a little harder and flatter. Had a little more spin on it. Came up with an even better reply. Put the ball just a little bit shorter right here, not moving Serena. Plenty of time just gives it a go. She looks well in charge, doesn't she? But it's Maria down the other end. Trust it. Just at the end of its flight. For confirm that game. For Serena. Is going to be nervous. We had 12 months ago that the drama is a final that will never be forgotten for all the wrong reasons. Don't forget to go to usopen.org. It has all the live scores, highlights, stats, whatever you want. It's that. Even bigger because it was the first opportunity that share poker had to break. Serve she had back to back chances. The second one wasn't a lot she could do about it. Serena just took that game in the end. Although Sharepova has still continued to get good serves in the first serve points one, it's dropped dramatically since the early stages of the match. Just 55% points one behind that first serve that is too low. Has had on her shots throughout her career and maybe where she is now, because some of those shots mean she's hitting it fully, but it's just not doing as much. Serena again having too much time. Now they know how important this first round is. More pressure on the shoulders of Sharapova. For the proposed block, Austin has not as. It's not as yet lived up to its billing. So far it's been Serena Williams show. And she wants to get her self back into this match, and it has just been difficult to produce that type of tennis point in and point out because of the way Serena has played. These days Maria not playing the top players we can we count. The eighth seed here. I just find it strange when I. History is at any time I also must be look to the top of the draw because no one really sensory not. Had a child two years ago. No one really has filled those shoes and dominated the sport has really made that number one ranking their own. She's projected. If she does reach the quarterfinals, potentially to play Ash Barty, French Open champion. If Ash is able to get there, you always say that with lots of ifs and buts and question marks. It wasn't like that in the days of graph and sellers and Everton Navratilova. Especially at the top of the game. Already needed three sets to get through her first round, but turn things around just when she needed to. I think Patrick must be sitting on his hands this evening. After all the dramas of 12 months ago, he's a good guy, Patrick. But that just shows you how important. Just saving those couple of breaks points was for Serena. Just a game or so ago. Given Sharapova trouble all match mean pace the depth from Serena and Sharapova just not getting her feet into position a little bit late and. Missed well wide. Out into the court and it is not easy to try to hit these types of shots but still so much margin. Switch your professor try to recreate. Regardless of the scoreline, the intensity is never dialed down. Second break point in this game disappears in a flash. Serena. So we get for her confidence for break points she's already saved in this second set and she saved them with four first serves. Second serve. Go at this just to try and retrieve. One the breaks. It looks a little late. For sure, public. Against this type of opponent playing this type of tennis, you just can't afford. The reaction from Serena as if she's had the worst serving evening of all time. Wednesday. And the margin of victory very similar. Unable to hold it to Miami over a decade ago in the fourth round, it's Williams one and one. 2006 champion playing for pride here. Opening night of this year's US Open. She made the hour. Love it. As well as Serena has played, the one thing you just might point to unforeseen from Sharapova and. Maybe the competing not finding away and digging in like we might. Have seen her do. Few years ago. This one certainly has always been a tough matchup and. She's trying to make it. Two more here tonight. 13. Sums up what you've been saying. Too many loose ones. From the Sharapova game and it did catch. That's a shame for Maria. Marie played about it's been so hard for her to get on the front foot out here tonight. And I love that expression. She's a certain 5 one down, but she plays as if it's the first point of the match. 15. 19 times. She's been in this position. Williams going for win number 20. She's with Serena. First of all, congratulations. Prior to the match, I asked you about what it means to you to come out in this court and you know how much these fans love you. What's it like for you to be back out here once again tonight? Thank you guys so much. I've had a lot of fans here, but I think you guys really, really did it tonight. I you don't understand how much it means to me from the bottom of my heart. Thank you so much. Serena, the draw comes out. You're a type of person that doesn't like to know the draw too early before the tournament. I learned that lesson once. But when you were told that you played Maria Sharapova first round, what did you think? I mean, obviously I'm going against a player that's won five Grand Slams have been in the final of even more, so that's never easy. So it's like you know every practice after that was super intense and super focused because you know it's it's an incredibly tough draw. What is it about Maria? I mean this is a number of times. I believe 19 in a row that you've beaten Maria. What is it about her that brings out the absolute best in you? You know, like I said, she's such a good player, you know, and when you play or you have to be super focused so every time I come up against her, I just bring out some of my best tennis. You're controlling the match so well you win the first set comfortably. You're up comfortably in the second and all of a sudden a couple of great points, particularly at two one, and you hit that fantastic backhand down the line. Do you, you knew, I think at that moment that that was a huge point for you. Yeah, that was definitely a big point for me. You know, she's the kind of player that gets momentum and she starts going. So I, you know, was like really excited that I hit that winner, but you know, it was, it was a fun match. Okay, so that match is over now. So you can relax somewhat tonight. What do you do now that you can sort of relax? Because Patrick did say that your practices have been very intense of late. Yeah, no, they've been super intense. You know, I just play with my baby. I'm obsessed with my daughter. So, you know, we were at the fair the other day, so maybe we'll go back and it's been, that's what I do to relax. You know, I come out here and I have such a great opportunity to play this sport in front of you guys and then I feel even more blessed to go home to my family and my daughter and it's just, oh my gosh, it's the best. Okay, last couple of questions. We appreciate it. You know, physically, you looked great tonight, but the last time we saw you was unfortunately you had to default that match in Canada or it was a walkover in the final. Physically, how's the body? Yeah, the body's good. I feel good. My back's a lot better. So I'm excited. This is gonna be fun. All right, Serena. I don't do this very often, but I'm gonna give you the last word. What do you wanna say to these great fans this year? Thank you for supporting me. I've said it once, but I've had a lot of tough matches here and a lot of tough losses, but coming out tonight makes it all worthwhile. So thank you so much. Ladies and gentlemen, the great Serena Williams. Back to you guys. Well, that was one way of acknowledging maybe how difficult it was 12 months ago and to get over that loss and to come out and reset and renew it. She's made a big statement tonight. State one of seven looked very good, Charlotte, didn't it? Yeah, her first match since that final last year, and it was a tough one. Could have been a tough one, a tough one, but from the beginning, Serena looked so focused. She was moving well. You could expect that she just did not wanna give a chair cover in an opening in this match, and that's exactly what she did. She closed the door time and time again, and that she quite well for her as she works her way, tries to work her way through this trip. And look at the joy out there. Serena is having fun, and it's lovely to see you on a day, I don't know if you caught it earlier, statue unveiled to L.P. Gibson. I absolutely did. The first African-American to play, male or female to play, was then the U.S. Nationals twice, the champion here, and L.P. there probably wouldn't have been Serena and Venus, and the great things that they've been able to do. And the Williams family had a pretty good day one, haven't they? At the U.S. Open. Venus really ran brilliantly earlier on Armstrong, and now today, tonight, excuse me, Serena lighting up after that. This story, this Williams story, it's got a few more chapters in it, hasn't it? Venus and Serena lost just three games, but to be the two of them, I'll tell you, it's gonna be a happy night for the Williams family, for sure. Oh, I've already seen them eat ---- like great. Keep it up, girls. They are liking today. This is a short day, not too many tennis balls, walks, like you go back and have a glass of wine or whatever they like to do at the end of the evening. No stress. Exactly. Sister Lynn was also there in the box, saying it could be a really nice evening with the way these two women have played, Venus and Serena, and the night though, it belonged to Serena Williams.