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U.S. Open: Serena Williams dominates Francesca Schiavone in easy win

Serena Williams returns a shot during her first-round victory over Francesca Schiavone at the U.S. Open on Monday.
Serena Williams returns a shot during her first-round victory over Francesca Schiavone at the U.S. Open on Monday.
(Elsa Garrison / Getty Images)
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NEW YORK — Top-seeded Serena Williams, the defending U.S. Open champion, won her opening match of the 2013 Open, 6-0, 6-1, over 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone.

Williams won 24 of 30 points in the first set and started out the second set by winning a 26-point game. In the third game of the second set, after Schiavone lost yet another point, the 33-year-old Italian asked a ball boy for a hug.

In the fourth game of the second set, when Schiavone won a point, the Italian waggled one finger. Schiavone decided to just have a good time with the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd.

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During a 21-stroke rally in that game, Williams squealed with joy when she created an angle with her forehand that left Schiavone with nowhere to go.

In the fifth game of the second set, after surviving two double faults and saving a break point, Schiavone finally won her first game by hitting a wily cross-court passing shot that earned her a standing ovation.

It was Williams’ 66th match win at the U.S. Open, and just after she finished it began to rain. Her timing, again, was impeccable.

“It was a really tough draw,” Williams said, “so I tried to be super serious.”

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