Serena Williams beats yet another top-two seed in US Open
At times it seems like Serena Williams has completed tennis, but she's still extending her legacy with her latest win in the second round at the US Open.
She knocked out second seed Anett Kontaveit at Flushing Meadows, the Estonian becoming her 21st top-two seeded victim in Grand Slams, no mean feat considering Williams herself has entered many slams ranked at the top.
That's more than any other player, male or female, since the beginning of the Open era in 1968, with Martina Navratilova a distant second place on 15.
It was also Williams' 48th win against a WTA top-two opponent, and she's only lost two such matches in her last 25 dating back to 2007.
The 40-year-old dispatched Kontaveit two sets to one and marches on to the third round where she'll face Australian Ajla Tomljanovic.
Williams' win means five of the top 11 seeds are already out of the tournament, including defending champion Emma Radacanu, who crashed out in her opening game, but world number one Iga Swiatek remains at large.
This US Open is set to be Williams' last appearance at Flushing Meadows - as a player at least - 24 years and six titles after her first.
"I have had a big red X on my back since I won the US Open in '99," Williams said.
"It's been there my entire career, because I won my first grand slam early in my career. But here it's different. I feel like I've already won."
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