World number one Serena Williams launched her bid for a ninth Miami Open crown on Thursday by outlasting US compatriot Christina McHale 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 to reach the third round.
MIAMI: World number one Serena Williams launched her bid for
a ninth Miami Open crown on Thursday (Mar 24) by outlasting US
compatriot Christina McHale 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 to reach the third round.
The 34-year-old defending champion, who like all seeds
received a first-round bye, will next face Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan,
who ousted Australian Daria Gavrilova 7-5, 6-3.
Williams, who watched tournaments at the combined WTA and
ATP hardcourt event as a child, seeks her fourth consecutive title. "To
play here is always special to me," she said.
But Williams, whose back-to-back finals losses at the
Australian Open and Indian Wells were her first since 2004, had to
withstand a fightback from her 23-year-old rival with the match on her
racquet. "She definitely started fighting back," Williams said. "And
she's clearly capable of playing great tennis."
Williams served for the match in the 10th game of the second
set but netted a backhand to surrender a break. McHale held and won the
first three points of the 12th game off Williams' serve. The top seed
pulled back two but swatted a forehand wide to force a third set.
McHale denied Williams on three break points to hold the
first game of the final set but the defending champion broke in the
third and smashed a backhand service return winner to break again in the
seventh game.
Williams had to fight off two break points in the final
game, saving one with her 12th ace and the other with a service winner,
and she blasted her 13th ace on match point to finally end matters after
two hours and seven minutes.
Williams fired 13 aces and 36 winners with 43 unforced
errors while McHale managed seven aces and 26 winners against 31
unforced errors.
Two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova reached the third
round with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over 83rd-ranked American Irina Falconi.
Kvitova next faces Russian 30th seed Ekaterina Makarova, who ousted
Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
"I served pretty well," the Czech eighth seed said. "She
played better in the second set and that's what made it tougher. It's
always a little bit tricky when it's someone you have never played
before." Kvitova next faces Russian 30th seed Ekaterina Makarova, who
ousted Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Uzbek Denis Istomin rallied to beat Croatia's Borna Coric
4-6, 7-5, 7-5 in a first-round match to book a Saturday matchup with
British second seed Andy Murray, who won their first two meetings back
in 2013. "He hasn't lost to me but I will try my best to beat him,"
Istomin said.
FEDERER RETURNS ON FRIDAY
Roger Federer, a 17-time Grand Slam singles champion, will
return Friday from an eight-week layoff for left knee surgery against
Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro, himself in only his third event back
from a lengthy layoff after left wrist surgery.
The Swiss star has a 15-5 career edge on Del Potro but the South American won their biggest matchup in the 2009 US Open final.
World number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic,
seeking his third Miami crown in a row and sixth overall, begins his
title quest Friday against Britain's 87th-ranked Kyle Edmund. Djokovic
won last week at Indian Wells after taking his 11th Grand Slam title in
January at the Australian Open.
"Every step he takes, history gets written," Federer said of
Djokovic. "It has been impressive to say the least. It makes guys
reconsider their game and how they train. You've got to make it
difficult for him. You have to believe from the first point to the last,
that's for sure."
Victoria Azarenka, coming off a victory over Williams in the
Indian Wells final, plays her opener Friday against Puerto Rico's
Monica Puig.
Men’s first round:
John Millman (AUS) bt Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) 6-3, 6-2
Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Donald Young (USA) 6-3, 6-1
Aljaz Bedene (GBR) bt Roberto Carballes Baena (ESP) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) bt Rogerio Dutra Silva (BRA) 6-2, 6-3
Adrian Mannarino (FRA) bt Illya Marchenko (UKR) 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Donald Young (USA) 6-3, 6-1
Aljaz Bedene (GBR) bt Roberto Carballes Baena (ESP) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) bt Rogerio Dutra Silva (BRA) 6-2, 6-3
Adrian Mannarino (FRA) bt Illya Marchenko (UKR) 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
Tim Smyczek (USA) bt Tommy Paul (USA) 6-4, 5-7, 7-5
Denis Istomin (UZB) bt Borna Coric (CRO) 4-6, 7-5, 7-5
Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) bt Brian Baker (USA) 6-4, 6-2
Tatsuma Ito (JPN) bt Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-2
Santiago Giraldo (COL) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
Women’s second round:Denis Istomin (UZB) bt Borna Coric (CRO) 4-6, 7-5, 7-5
Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) bt Brian Baker (USA) 6-4, 6-2
Tatsuma Ito (JPN) bt Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-2
Santiago Giraldo (COL) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
Petra Kvitova (CZE) bt Irina Falconi (USA) 6-1, 6-4
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) bt Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) bt Margarita Gasparyan (RUS) 6-3, 6-1
Ana Ivanovic (SRB) bt Tellana Pereira (BRA) 6-3, 6-0
Madison Brengle (USA) bt Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) 7-5, 6-4
Elina Svitolina (UKR) bt Zhang Shuai (CHN) 6-3, 6-0
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) bt Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) bt Margarita Gasparyan (RUS) 6-3, 6-1
Ana Ivanovic (SRB) bt Tellana Pereira (BRA) 6-3, 6-0
Madison Brengle (USA) bt Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) 7-5, 6-4
Elina Svitolina (UKR) bt Zhang Shuai (CHN) 6-3, 6-0
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) bt Alize Cornet (FRA) 6-0, 6-1
Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) bt Lucie Safarova (CZE) 6-2, 6-3
Heather Watson (GBR) bt Sloane Stephens (USA) 6-3, 6-0
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) bt Vania King (USA) 7-5, 6-2
Caroline Garcia (FRA) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER) 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 7-6 (7/2)
Julia Goerges (GER) bt Samantha Stosur (AUS) 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) bt Lucie Safarova (CZE) 6-2, 6-3
Heather Watson (GBR) bt Sloane Stephens (USA) 6-3, 6-0
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) bt Vania King (USA) 7-5, 6-2
Caroline Garcia (FRA) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER) 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 7-6 (7/2)
Julia Goerges (GER) bt Samantha Stosur (AUS) 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
- AFP/de
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