MELBOURNE, Australia -- It's become as routine as her service motion: Serena Williams wins a match, walks to the net, hugs her opponent and then consoles the woman she just defeated. It's happened more than once here in Melbourne, and after her third-round 6-2, 6-1 win against 18-year-old Dayana Yastremska on Saturday afternoon, microphones caught Williams attempting to cheer the young Ukrainian, who was in tears. "You did so well," Williams said. "Don't cry. You're so young."
No scene better demonstrates the disparity between Williams, a 37-year-old, 23-time Grand Slam champ, mother and the most famous woman in tennis, and so many of the players she faces.