Serena gets off to winning start in Miami
23 March 2013 1:17 AM GMT
Serena Williams got her quest for a record sixth WTA title on the hardcourts of Miami off to a brisk start on Thursday with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Italian Flavia Pennetta.
The world No. 1 and top seed, playing her first tournament since falling to Victoria Azarenka in the final at Doha in February, said she didn’t feel too rusty, although her footwork could improve.
‘I think I missed a few shots, but only because I think I was off footwork-wise. ‘But it’s always just good just to win a match and stay in the tournament and keep going.’
Despite the lopsided scoreline, Williams said Pennetta’s ability to extend the rallies made the match difficult, although the American fended off all seven break points she faced.
She had 18 break chances against Pennetta, and converted five, saying she felt a little frustrated that she wasn’t doing more. ‘I felt like I should be putting the balls away for my opponent quick, but she was so quick and she was running every ball down,’ Williams said.
Fourth-seeded defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska, fifth-seeded Li Na of China and seventh-seeded Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic all joined Williams in the third-round.
Radwanska parlayed an early break in each set to a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei. ‘I was happy to have a quick match,’ she said. Li, playing her first tournament since suffering an ankle injury in her loss to Azarenka in the Australian Open final, downed Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands 6-3, 6-1.
The world No. 1 and top seed, playing her first tournament since falling to Victoria Azarenka in the final at Doha in February, said she didn’t feel too rusty, although her footwork could improve.
‘I think I missed a few shots, but only because I think I was off footwork-wise. ‘But it’s always just good just to win a match and stay in the tournament and keep going.’
Despite the lopsided scoreline, Williams said Pennetta’s ability to extend the rallies made the match difficult, although the American fended off all seven break points she faced.
She had 18 break chances against Pennetta, and converted five, saying she felt a little frustrated that she wasn’t doing more. ‘I felt like I should be putting the balls away for my opponent quick, but she was so quick and she was running every ball down,’ Williams said.
Fourth-seeded defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska, fifth-seeded Li Na of China and seventh-seeded Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic all joined Williams in the third-round.
Radwanska parlayed an early break in each set to a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei. ‘I was happy to have a quick match,’ she said. Li, playing her first tournament since suffering an ankle injury in her loss to Azarenka in the Australian Open final, downed Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands 6-3, 6-1.
Next Story
