Serena smashes Larcher De Brito in Wimbledon opener
Serena Williams has turned in a commanding performance in her opening match at Wimbledon, disposing of Michelle Larcher De Brito 6-0, 6-4.
The defending champion started strongly against her teenage opponent, breaking Larcher De Brito’s serve in the opening game of the match and racing away to the first set in just 22 minutes, sealing it with an ace after the world No. 148 saved the first of two set points on Serena’s serve.
The Portuguese No. 1 finally managed to avoid an embarrassing double bagel when she held serve in the third game of the second set, an effort that drew the applause of the centre court crowd, who had been spared the high volume grunting that had propelled Larcher De Brito to notoriety at the 2009 French Open.
To her credit, the 17-year- old then held her next two service games for the match, but Williams remained that crucial break ahead of her opponent as she marched onwards to victory with a performance that should send an ominous warning to all challengers for her Wimbledon crown.
The vast difference between the players was evident both on the scoreboard and in the statistics, where Serena rocketed down 15 aces to zero and hit 32 winners to her opponent’s five.
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