Serena Williams won the gold medal in women’s singles at the 2012 Summer Olympics on Saturday, absolutely dismantling Maria Sharapova in straight sets, 6-0, 6-1. And really, it wasn’t even that close.
Serena Williams Dominates Maria Sharapova To Win Olympic Gold
Serena took the first game with three aces, broke Sharapova in the second, and then never looked back, winning the first set, 6-0. Sharapova did not hold serve and win her first game until the second set, when she made it 3-1, roughly 45 minutes into the match. The final took a total of just 63 minutes.
After Serena delayed the start a couple of times for what the NBC announcers speculated was either “nerves” or “bathroom breaks” (perhaps both?), the 2012 Wimbledon champion came out and wrecked shop against Sharapova, the tournament’s No. 3 seed, and the No. 3 ranked women’s player in the world. The domination was hardly anything new for Serena -- she lost just 17 games in her six matches during the Olympics, and including the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, Williams was a perfect 13-0 at the All England Club this summer.
Earlier in the day, Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka won the bronze medal, defeating Russia’s Maria Kirilenko, 6-3, 6-4.
For Serena, who had already completed the career grand slam, it’s her first gold medal, making her just the second women’s player to accomplish the career Golden Slam (Steffi Graf being the other). Serena will team up with sister Venus later Saturday afternoon in the women’s doubles semifinals
After match point, Serena let out a scream and then -- on the grass court of Wimbledon, mind you -- celebrated with a perfect crip-walk.
For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation’s London 2012 Olympics Hub.
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