US Open 2013: Serena Williams claims 5th title at Flushing Meadows

Serena Williams poses with the champion’s trophy after beating Victoria Azarenka in the women’s singles final at the 2013 US Open (Getty Images)

Serena Williams claimed her 5th US Open crown by beating Victoria Azarenka in the final of the 2013 US Open at Flushing Meadows.

The 31-year old American overcame a spirited Azarenka who fought hard for much of the way before Williams was able to run away with it in the third set. The win was also Williams’ 17th Grand Slam title overall and brings her within a title’s distance of matching the records of Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, who both have 18 Slams to their name.

In what was a rematch of last year’s final, featuring the top two players in the world, Williams started ominously by breaking Azarenka in the very first game of the match. She however, surrendered her serve in the very next game and the set progressed on serve till 5-5, when Williams broke the Azarenka serve for a second time to take a 6-5 lead. She went on to serve out the set in the next game and take a one set lead.

Conditions at Flushing Meadows were blustery throughout and Serena in particular, struggled with her serve and her shots. Carrying the momentum of the first set win, Williams established a double-break advantage in the second set and led 4-1. But, Azarenka fought on gamely and  was assisted in her fight back by the American who started to spray errors off her racquet.

Azarenka managed to pull back on level terms, when Williams, serving for the match at 5-4 lost her serve. The set then went to a tie-break, which Azarenka clinched, as Williams missed two relatively easy backhands threw in a double-fault (her 7th of the match) as she gave Azarenka the advantage as she went on to win the second set.

That meant the match would go the distance, just as it did last year. But Williams responded magnificently in the final set, raising the level of her game and putting her frustration aside, to take control in the decider by breaking her opponent twice. Serving for the match at 5-1, there were a few wobbles again, but none as costly and she clinched the title on her third match point when Azarenka sent a backhand long.

Clearly bowled over at the win, Williams jumped up and down in celebration in delirious joy, as Azarenka’s backhand sailed long.