Melbourne ¨C As fans fished for autographs by tying cords around oversize tennis balls and dangling them over the rail for Serena Williams, her mind drifted to the other side of the world.
¡°How amazing!¡± Williams muttered, as much to herself as anyone else, while she scribbled her signature after her 6-1, 6-1 first-round victory against Laura Siegemund at the Australian Open on Monday. ¡°Can you imagine winning the Super Bowl at 43?¡±
In the lead-up to this year¡¯s Open, Williams, 39, had repeatedly expressed her admiration for Tom Brady, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback who delivered his seventh Super Bowl title on Sunday night. His determination and excellence have inspired her ¡°since when he beat Kurt Warner,¡± she said, referring to the New England Patriots¡¯ victory over the St. Louis Rams in the 2002 Super Bowl.
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