Serena oozes confidence in post match presser

Judging by her 6-1, 6-1 demolition of Maria Sharapova and subsequent press conference, it’s safe to say Serena has her swagger back.

Serena is the oddsmakers favorite to win the US Open, but just by a hair. After last night, this feels like her tournament to lose. She has a flair for the dramatic: it seems only fitting she should tie Margaret Court’s record on the 20th anniversary of her first Grand Slam championship, which she won in New York in 1999.

Here are some highlights from her confident post-match press conference.

(Getty)

Q: Is this your tournament to win?

"Yea, I feel like I’m here to do that."

Q: Although you're 20-2 against (Sharapova), many have coined this as a rivalry. Do you consider her a rival?

“I don’t know what the meaning of rivalry is... I feel everyone I play is a rival.”

Q: Why do you play so well against (Sharapova)?

“I always said her ball somehow lands in my strike zone.” “It’s just perfect for me.”

Q: Your reaction to the USTA deciding not to have Carlos Ramos umpire your match?

“Yeah, I don’t know who that is.”

Q: Everything you've been through recently, physically and mentally, at this point in your career what is the hardest obstacle to get through?

“I’ve always been really mentally strong...I think just putting those two together at an event would be the biggest obstacle for me.”

It feels like playing a fuller than normal summer hard-court season has served Serena well. She said she needed matches, and she got them. Even if you are the GOAT, you still need to play matches.

Serena will face off against rising 17-year old star Caty McNally on Wednesday in the second round.

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