Serena starts year with easy victory
Source: Agencies |
January 3, 2012, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
SERENA Williams won in her first match since losing the US Open final last September, beating Chanelle Scheepers 6-2, 6-3 yesterday at the Brisbane International in Australia.
Williams had her service broken in the opening game before settling in. She needed just 68 minutes to advance, firing seven aces and taking advantage of eight double-faults by Scheepers of South Africa.
The former top-ranked Williams said frequent long rallies provided a tough opening workout for her.
"That was definitely not easy, I think she (Scheepers) played really well," Williams said. "I didn't expect that."
In other matches, former No. 1-ranked Ana Ivanovic beat Tamira Paszek of Austria 6-3, 6-3 and American qualifier Vania King beat Melinda Czink of Hungary 6-3, 6-4.
Top-seeded Andy Murray plays his opening men's match today. Second-seeded Gilles Simon of France advanced with a 6-3, 6-4 win over American Ryan Sweeting yesterday.
Denis Istoman also went through to the second round when Florian Mayer retired with a groin injury while trailing 7-6 (5), 2-3, and eighth-seeded Bernard Tomic of Australia beat Julien Benneteau of France 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.
Ivanovic will play Australian Open defending champion Kim Clijsters in the second round.
In Perth, Australia, Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and teammate Tomas Berdych won their singles matches yesterday to give Czech Republic a 2-1 win over Bulgaria at the Hopman Cup.
Kvitova beat Tsvetana Pironkova 6-4, 6-2 before seventh-ranked Berdych defeated Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-7 (8), 6-3. Pironkova and Dimitrov won the mixed doubles 2-6, 6-3, 11-9 (match tiebreak).
Williams had her service broken in the opening game before settling in. She needed just 68 minutes to advance, firing seven aces and taking advantage of eight double-faults by Scheepers of South Africa.
The former top-ranked Williams said frequent long rallies provided a tough opening workout for her.
"That was definitely not easy, I think she (Scheepers) played really well," Williams said. "I didn't expect that."
In other matches, former No. 1-ranked Ana Ivanovic beat Tamira Paszek of Austria 6-3, 6-3 and American qualifier Vania King beat Melinda Czink of Hungary 6-3, 6-4.
Top-seeded Andy Murray plays his opening men's match today. Second-seeded Gilles Simon of France advanced with a 6-3, 6-4 win over American Ryan Sweeting yesterday.
Denis Istoman also went through to the second round when Florian Mayer retired with a groin injury while trailing 7-6 (5), 2-3, and eighth-seeded Bernard Tomic of Australia beat Julien Benneteau of France 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.
Ivanovic will play Australian Open defending champion Kim Clijsters in the second round.
In Perth, Australia, Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and teammate Tomas Berdych won their singles matches yesterday to give Czech Republic a 2-1 win over Bulgaria at the Hopman Cup.
Kvitova beat Tsvetana Pironkova 6-4, 6-2 before seventh-ranked Berdych defeated Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-7 (8), 6-3. Pironkova and Dimitrov won the mixed doubles 2-6, 6-3, 11-9 (match tiebreak).
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