Serena Williams
Serena Williams of the United States serves against Qiang Wang of China (not pictured) in a quarterfinal match on day nine of the 2019 US Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 4 (REUTERS): Serena Williams claimed her 100th win at the U.S. Open in style on Tuesday, dismantling her quarter-final opponent Wang Qiang 6-1 6-0 in a blistering 44-minute performance that ended any questions over a twisted ankle from the previous round.
"I never thought that I would get to 100," Williams said after the match, reflecting on the two decades she's spent playing at Flushing Meadows. "It's so special. I never want to let it go."
The eighth-seeded American joins Chris Evert as the only two players to log at least 100 victories at the tournament. Williams is now only one behind Evert's mark.
The 37-year-old Williams was dominant from the start, firing off 25 winners, compared to zero from 18th-seed Wang, and winning 90% of her first serve points.
During her fourth-round match on Sunday, Williams slipped and fell while running to the net and twisted her right ankle but said on Tuesday she was feeling "great".
"It feels good," Williams said of her performance. "This is how hard I've been working. It feels like ... hard work pays off when that happens."
Williams pumped her fist in celebration after firing off a forehand winner in front of a roaring crowd to end the contest.
"I am who I am. I've always been the person that goes out there and roars and screams and complains and cries and fights," Williams said.
