Serena Williams overcame rust and a troublesome wind to launch her comeback from a four-month lay-off with a 6-3, 6-4 win over 69th-ranked Pauline Parmentier at the Auckland Classic on Tuesday.
In her first outing since she was shocked by Karolina Pliskova in the US Open semi-finals in September, the world number two made a sluggish start to a season in which she is seeking a record 23rd Grand Slam title. In her first-round match, delayed from Monday when rain washed out play, Williams struggled initially as France’s Parmentier broke the American’s first service game and then held to love.