It was the encounter of the multiple-time Grand Slam champions, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova in the first night session match of the US Open 2019.
The American World Number eight, Williams dismantled the five-time major champion, Sharapova 6-1, 6-1 under an hour in the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
After her last year’s infamous championship match at Flushing Meadows, where Serena Williams was involved in a tirade with the chair umpire, Carlos Ramos, the USTA decided to keep Ramos away from officiating Serena and Venus Williams matches at US Open 2019, for the welfare of the tournament and to avoid conflicts in the sport of tennis.
Ramos is present in the tournament but he won’t be stepping on the courts where the Williams sisters will be present. In the press conference, Serena was asked how she reacted when she learned about USTA’s decision of segregating Williams and Ramos throughout the tournament, the eighth seed American swiftly responded, “yeah, I don’t know who that is.”
Serena’s response regarding the high-profile chair umpire of tennis, Carlos Ramos was simply acceptable and it outraged the tennis followers globally as she was discourteous towards a tennis official.
Last year, Williams called Ramos a “liar” and “thief” and the controversial climax of the US Open 2018 happened to be a bittersweet Grand Slam breakthrough for the World Number one, Naomi Osaka.
Carlos Ramos is one of the two gold badge chair umpires in tennis and he has umpired singles final matches in all four of the Grand Slam tournaments. And the other gold badge chair umpire is Alison Hughes.
Fans Reaction:
The 23-time Grand Slam champion, Serena Williams has beaten the American teenager, Caty McNally in the second round of the US Open 2019.
