By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, May 15, 2016
Serena Williams topped Madison Keys, 7-6 (5), 6-3, in the Rome final to claim her first title of the year and 70th championship of her career.
Photo credit: Internazionali BNL d'Italia
Serena Williams celebrated her 70th championship in style.
A dynamic Williams showed clay-court fluidity and Italian fluency solidifying her status as Roman ruler.
In an all-American final, the world No. 1 defused Madison Keys, 7-6 (5), 6-3, to capture her fourth Rome title today infusing her with confidence ahead of launching her Roland Garros title defense next week.
Watch: Venus and Serena Reunite
It was Williams' 70th career championship and first title since she defeated Simona Halep to capture Cincinnati last August.
The world No. 1 roared through five matches without dropping a set then elicited a huge roar of approval from Rome fans delivering her victory speech solely in Italian.
It's a tribute to Williams' remarkable staying power when you consider how many talented challengers she's beaten back over the years.
Fourteen years after she beat Justine Henin, 7-6 (6), 6-4, to win her first Rome title, the top seed conquered Keys by nearly the identical score. Keys, who is projected to rise to No. 17 when the new WTA rankings are released tomorrow, stayed in step for one set but could not withstand Williams' onslaught in the second set.
"It's always such a challenge to play her; she's so great," Keys said of Williams. "Being able to play her in the finals was so special for me."
Breezy conditions blew the back of Williams' hair around creating tricky conditions to control the service toss.
The first all-American women's clay-court final since the 2002 Roland Garros when Serena stopped sister Venus for the title, began with a bang.
Williams possesses one of the most potent serves in the sport's history, but Keys' massive serve was the biggest shot on the court through the first four games.
A sluggish Serena flagged one forehand and slapped another forehand into net dropping serve at love in the opener. Keys consolidated with a three-ace game for 2-0.
Thumping three aces in the fourth game, Keys denied Williams entry into rallies holding for 3-1.
Serving at 3-2, 40-15, Keys shanked a serve then dumped successive double faults. A pair of misses gifted back the break.
Smacking her racquet against her shoe in frustration, Keys began to lose the height and net clearance of her shots, while Williams was hitting with more authority winning her third straight game for 4-3.
Thirty minutes into the match, Williams hit a terrific drop shot that darted off the court with sidespin. A big second serve down the T set up a forehand winner. Williams whipped her second ace for 5-4.
There were only two breaks in the opening set, but the pressure of the tie break, combined with heavy hitting from both women, created five mini-breaks in the first six points of the breaker.
Blowing open a crackling crosscourt exchange, Keys crushed a forehand winner down the line and followed with a serve winner forging a 5-all tie.
That's when Williams' prescience and power made a critical mark in the match.
Keys had the top seed moving when she hit her two-hander down the line trying to go behind her opponent. Williams read the shot, held her ground and drilled a crosscourt forehand for set point.
A slashing serve winner wide closed a high-octane opening set in 51 minutes.
Fierce desire and fast wheels helped Williams break to open the second set. She ran down a backhand dig near one sideline, spun that made a diagonal dash to push a forehand down the opposite sideline for the opening break. Serena confirmed the break breezing through a hold at 15 for 2-0.
During the first set, Williams wasn't always staying down through her forehand strike and sometimes sailed that shot. Swinging more freely with the lead, she began cranking that shot in the corners scoring her second straight break for 3-0.
Losing focus, Williams spun successive double faults handing back one break.
Williams wrapped up her fourth break at 15 for 5-2, but failed to serve it out.
A flurry of forehands took her to championship point. The reining Roland Garros champion closed the 84-minute final on a Keys backhand error, pumping her fist and paying a compliment and prediction to Keys.
"I'm so proud of you," Williams told Keys. "You're gonna get to No. 1 in the world so easy."
Keys showed grace and humor in the trophy presentation telling the crowd, "I don't speak much Italian except ciao, grazie and gelato."
The champion charmed the crowd speaking in Italian after showing doubters and rivals she's still fluent in victory.