IN THE STREETS & ON THE WEB

SAY WORD! SERENA WILLIAMS C-WALKS AFTER WINNING OLYMPIC GOLD!

WIMBLEDON – Serena Williams pulverized Maria Sharapova in 62 minutes on Saturday, 6-0, 6-1, to win her first Olympic gold medal in singles, matching Steffi Graf’s so-called Golden Slam that includes titles in all four majors and the Summer Games. In so doing, Williams made Sharapova appear a rank amateur for much of the final, utterly out of her league, unable to reach Serena’s serves or powerful groundstrokes.

The match did not exactly begin with such great promise for the Wimbledon champ. Williams requested a time out before the start of the match, went back inside, sauntered out to her chair and took a sip of water while Sharapova waited impatiently. The crowd jeered. But then Williams struck three aces in the first game, won the first eight points for a break, and completely overwhelmed her Russian opponent.

This was a final between the two previous Grand Slam winners, and a match anticipated by many to decide which woman was truly the dominant force on tour. Williams, who has now won 17 straight and 34 of last 35 matches, is only ranked No. 4 by the computer but is now clearly alone at the top.

Sharapova struggled badly with her serve in the wind – her high toss never helps – even as Williams knocked seven aces in her first three service games. In this matchup of Big Babe tennis, Sharapova cannot match Williams’ powerful groundstrokes. It was the eighth straight victory for Serena over Sharapova, dating back to 2004.

Serena has an opportunity to capture another gold medal in doubles here with her sister Venus. The pair was scheduled to play a semifinal match later on Saturday.