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What had been a rather modest Grand Slam season for Serena Williams has ended in the perfect possible way, with the world number one clinching her 18th Grand Slam title with a straight-sets victory over Caroline Wozniacki in the final of the US Open.
Entering what she could now consider her most favourite Grand Slam tournament, the American had endured a poor showing at the other three Slams, failing to get past the fourth round at any of the Australian and French Opens, as well as at Wimbledon.
At the latter, she appeared struck down by a virus which caused her to retire in bizarre circumstances from a doubles match with her sister Venus. This followed a shock third-round dismissal in singles by Frenchwoman Alize Cornet.
But at Flushing Meadows, the form that took her to 17 previous Grand Slam titles and world number one for the first time in July 2002 delivered an 18th Grand Slam title, record-equalling sixth US Open title and more Grand Slam greatness.
She did it without losing a set – matching her 2008 effort when she also won the US Open playing such flawless tennis. She also didn’t drop a set en route to winning Wimbledon in 2010, which was her previous best such effort until now.
It is also the first time she has three-peated at any Grand Slam tournament, having failed (or being prevented, in the case of the 2011 Australian Open) three times previously including twice at Wimbledon.
Her victim this year was Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki, for whom the wait for a maiden Grand Slam title continues. The former world number one lost in straight sets in just one hour and 15 minutes.
Wozniacki, like Williams, had also endured a poor year at the Grand Slams, losing in the third, first and fourth rounds at the first three tournaments of the year respectively. Going back further, she hadn’t reached a Grand Slam quarter-final since losing her world number one ranking after the 2012 Australian Open.
But since splitting from Rory McIlroy on the eve of the French Open, the Dane has rediscovered the form which took her to world number one four years ago. She won a small title in Istanbul shortly after Wimbledon, then pushed Williams to the brink in back-to-back tournaments at Montreal and Cincinnati.
Then, in New York, consecutive victories over Andrea Petkovic, Maria Sharapova and Sara Errani made her the favourite to return to the final for the first time since 2009, and not surprisingly, she did so but not in the way that she had wanted to.
In her semi-final match against Peng Shuai, the Chinese succumbed to cramping in the unrelenting heat, with its controversial ending being criticised by tennis great John McEnroe.
In the end, the truncated match appeared to dent Wozniacki’s momentum as she simply could not keep up with Serena Williams in her first Grand Slam final for five years.
The defeat drops her to 0-2 in such finals, and along with Jelena Jankovic, she remains one of only two active women who have yet to taste the ultimate success despite being ranked world number one.
Jankovic also reached the final of the US Open in 2008, losing to Williams in straight sets.
Special mention should be made in regards to Dinara Safina, who reigned as world number one for six months in 2009 but couldn’t break through for a Grand Slam title in three attempts.
The Russian retired in May this year after a persistent back injury prevented her from playing since 2011.
And so that wraps up the women’s side of the US Open with the men’s champion still to be decided on Tuesday morning (AEST) when Kei Nishikori and Marin Cilic face off in the most improbable of Grand Slam finals yet.
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