Serena Williams won the first nine games on her way to the gold medal in women's singles tennis at Wimbledon in the London Olympics.
Elise Amendola, AP
WIMBLEDON, England - About the only achievement missing on Serena Williams' resume - an Olympic gold medal in singles - was added Saturday in stunning fashion.
In what can only be termed complete domination, Williams served three aces in the opening game, broke Maria Sharapova's service in the second and never looked back in rolling to her first Olympic tennis singles championship 6-0, 6-1.
Williams, the fourth seed, won the first nine games over the third-seeded Russian on a breezy afternoon on the same Centre Court grass where she captured her fifth Wimbledon championship last month. Since losing to Sharapova at Wimbledon final in 2004, Williams has now beaten Sharapova eight consecutive times.
She let out a loud scream after match point and then jumped up and down on the court in joy, a wide smile across her face. She even did a little victory dance.
Williams also was scheduled to play a doubles semifinal match with her sister Venus on Saturday. The two won Olympic doubles gold in 2000 and 2008.
But singles gold remained elusive. After demolishing world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-1, 6-2 in the semifinals on Friday, Williams said she was proud of a career that includes 14 Grand Slam singles championships - most of any active woman. But she added that the singles gold would be like gravy for her.
Going into the match she also talked about how much fun she is having here, something easy to see given that she rolled through the tournament with barely a challenge. She did not lose a set in six matches.
"I'm way more relaxed this time around," she said Friday. "Something about this tournament is just making me play well, maybe because it's not what I worked for my whole life, like to get a Grand Slam. I'm not, like, stressed out - 'This could be it, No. 14 or No. 15.' I feel like whether I get a medal or not, I'm happy."
And maybe she's just a tad happier today.