Serena Williams will take on Maria Sharapova in the first round of the U.S. Open
The 2019 U.S. Open is going to start with a bang on the women’s side. Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova will go head to head in the first round of the event.
The match will mark the first time since 2016 the two have faced off against each other. Williams and Sharapova were slated to face each other during the French Open last year, but Williams had to pull out of the event.
Sharapova technically won that contest, though she hasn’t fared well when the two have actually faced each other on the court. Sharapova has lost the last 18 meetings with Williams. If you look past Williams withdrawing in 2018, Sharapova last defeated Williams back in 2004.
Williams will head into the U.S. Open as the No. 8 seed. Sharapova is listed as the No. 87 seed.
Williams enters the event hoping to avenge her loss to Naomi Osaka last year. Osaka — the current No. 1 — defeated Williams to win the event in 2018. That match was mired in controversy, as Williams was penalized a game after confronting an umpire.
Osaka will take on Russian Anna Blinkova in the first round of the event. The first round will begin Monday, Aug. 26.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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