Williams opens with win
For the first five games in the second set, Serena Williams played almost flawless tennis Tuesday in her firstround match at the Australian Open.
Then came the rustiness that tends to follow a lengthy layoff, giving Belinda Bencic a glimmer of hope before Williams regained her composure in a 6-4, 6-3 victory at Melbourne. The six-time Australian Open champion improved her impressive record in the first round of Grand Slam tournaments to 65-1.
The No. 2-ranked Williams’ priority is an Open era record 23rd major title. She’s one win down — beating a player who was seeded 12th in this event last year and reached a careerhigh No. 7 ranking last February — and is targeting six more at Melbourne Park.
“She was just recently in the top 10,” Williams said of Bencic. “I knew it would be one of the toughest first-round matches I’ve ever played.”
In the second round Williams will face meet Lucie Safarova, a 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-1 winner over Yanina Wickmayer.
Rafael Nadal won his firstround match, defeating Florian Mayer, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
Earlier, fifth-seeded Karolina Pliskova advanced with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Sara Sorribes Tormo and ninth-seeded Johanna Konta was a 7-5, 6-2 winner over Kirsten Flipkens.
In matches played late Monday, top-seeded Andy Murray was a 7-5, 7-6 (5), 6-2 victor over Illya Marchenko and Roger Federer, seeded 17th after falling out of the top 10 in November, defeated fellow 35-year-old Jurgen Meltzer, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Defending women’s champion Angelique Kerber, seeded No. 1 at a major for the first time, had some nervous moments in a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Lesia Tsurenko.