U.S. Open Day 14: Serena ties legends with title

Serena Williams, winning the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford in July,
tied Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova with 18 Grand Slam singles titles.
Tri Nguyen/TriNguyenPhotography.com

   Women's final — Top-ranked Serena Williams overpowered 10th-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6-3, 6-3 to tie Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova with 18 Grand Slam singles titles, fourth in women's tennis history. Margaret Court has 24, Steffi Graf 22 and Helen Wills Moody 19.
   Williams, 32, also matched Evert with six U.S. Open titles in the Open era and became the first woman to win three straight crowns at Flushing Meadows since Evert captured four from 1975 through 1978.
   Men's final matchup (seedings in parentheses) — Kei Nishikori (10) vs. Marin Cilic (14), Monday at 2 p.m. PDT on CBS. Both will play in their first Grand Slam final.
   The 5-foot-10 (1.78-meter) Nishikori is 5-2 against the 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) Cilic with three straight victories, including two this year.
   They have split two matches in the U.S. Open, with Nishikori prevailing 5-7, 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1 in 4 hours, 59 minutes in the second round in 2010 and Cilic winning 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-3 in the third round in 2012.
   Northern California connection — Top-seeded Bob and Mike Bryan outclassed 11th-seeded Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez of Spain 6-3, 6-4 for their 100th men's doubles title.
   The Bryans, 36-year-old identical twins and former Stanford stars, extended their record to 16 Grand Slam men's doubles titles. Five have come in the U.S. Open, tying Richard Sears and James Dwight in the 1880s. The Bryans surpassed Bob Lutz and Stan Smith for the record in the Open era, which began in 1968.
   Williams won her third Bank of the West Classic title at Stanford in July.
   U.S. report — Williams and the Bryans salvaged their seasons with their first Grand Slam titles of 2014 after dominating last year.
   Fast facts — Williams earned $4 million, the largest payout in tennis history. She collected $3 million for capturing the title and $1 million for finishing first in the U.S. Open Series point standings.
   Williams, who will turn 33 on Sept. 26, became the second-oldest woman to win a Grand Slam title in the Open era. Navratilova was 33 when she took the 1990 Wimbledon crown.
   Williams compiled a 29-4 advantage in winners against Wozniacki and did not surrender more than three games in a set during the tournament.
   Notable — Two unseeded players won the boys and girls singles titles. Omar Jasika, 17, of Australia beat fifth-seeded Quentin Halys of France 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 for the boys crown, and Marie Bouzkova, 16, of the Czech Republic topped ninth-seeded Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine 6-4, 7-6 (5). 
   Quote — Piotr Wozniacki, Caroline's father and coach, on Williams: "From a different planet. Come on, there's no chance."