FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y., Aug. 30 -- Serena Williams delivered a carefully scripted message during her first-round match at the U.S. Open: Her presence hasn't diminished, even if her ability has.
In her first match since pulling out of the Olympics because of continued soreness in her left knee, Williams, now ranked No. 11 in the world, easily handled overmatched Sandra Kleinova of the Czech Republic, 6-1, 6-3. She made more of a statement, though, with her eye-catching attire: long black boots, a denim skirt and a black shirt with studs.
Third-seeded Serena Williams makes a statement, first with her fashion choice, then with her tennis, dispatching Sandra Kleinova in 53 minutes.
(Frank Franklin Ii -- AP)
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All of the top seeds advanced on the first day at the U.S. Open, including men's No. 1 Roger Federer and women's No. 2 Amelie Mauresmo, who both cruised to straight-set victories. But the third-seeded Williams accomplished her goal best.
For the first time in a while, she demanded attention. She forced intimidation.
"Serena the innovator strikes again," Williams said. "The outfit was like a rebel look. I'm just doing things different, shaking it up."
Over the last few months, other women's players have often said that Williams no longer strikes them with the fear she once did, but that rang untrue Monday. Kleinova walked onto the court shaking. She stopped briefly on her way out of the locker room and mumbled to a reporter, "I'm really nervous."
And who could blame her? During warmups, Williams looked downright menacing.
Her black, studded tank top left her bulging biceps and belly-button ring exposed. Shiny boot sleeves -- which she took off before the match -- ran up close to her knees. Long silver earrings dangled to her neck, and dark eye shadow made her expression indistinguishable.
Oh, and she played two sets of tennis without so much as a hiccup. Her knee looked fine; her serve looked brilliant. She lost three service points in the entire first set and broke Kleinova's first service game. The match, played before a packed crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, lasted 53 minutes. Call it a quick spin down a fashion show runway.
"I finally felt like I was playing better," Williams said. "I've been working really, really hard, and right now I'm getting to the point where I feel a lot better."
When her match ended, Williams broke into a smile and pointed at the crowd.
"I'm just so excited to be in New York," she told the fans. "This is the best place for me to play for sure."
She seemed far distanced from the past 12 months, a stretch that has been one of the worst of her career. The two-time U.S. Open champion underwent surgery to repair a partial tear of a tendon in her left knee last August, when she was ranked No. 1, and she has never quite recovered. Even when she marched to the final at Wimbledon in early July, she sometimes looked sluggish, especially during a 6-1, 6-4 loss to Maria Sharapova in the final.
When Williams pulled out of the Olympics hours before her scheduled flight to Athens, she seemed devastated. "I've never been this disappointed," she said then, "in my whole career."
