Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Serena Williams wins Australian Open return

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MELBOURNE, Australia — This was quite a return for Serena Williams. Almost as if she never left.

In her first match at the Australian Open since winning the 2017 title while pregnant — and her first official match anywhere since a loss in the chaotic U.S. Open final last September — Williams looked to be at her dominant best, overpoweri­ng Tatjana Maria 6-0, 6-2 in the first round Tuesday.

Truth be told, the match against Maria was not much of a test for Williams, given that the 74th-ranked German entered with an 11-15 record in first-round matches at Grand Slam tournament­s, only once has made it as far as the third round at any major and owns a total of one career WTA title after a dozen years on the tour.

Williams, meanwhile, is pursuing an eighth title in Melbourne and 24th Slam singles trophy overall, which would equal Margaret Court — whose career spanned the amateur and profession­al eras — for the most in tennis history.

“I have been going for the record (for) what seems like forever now,” the 37-year-old Williams said, “so it doesn’t feel any different.”

How lopsided was this? Williams needed all of 18 minutes to wrap up the first set, ceding just five of 29 points along the way.

The American, a former No. 1 who is seeded 16th on account of playing only 24 matches in 2018, never faced a single break point and compiled a 22-7 edge in winners.

Other seeded winners Tuesday included No. 4 Naomi Osaka, No. 7 Karolina Pliskova, No. 12 Elise Mertens, No. 13 Anastasija Sevastova, No. 17 Madison Keys and No. 18 Garbine Muguruza among the women, plus No. 4 Alexander Zverev, No. 8 Kei Nishikori, No. 11 Borna Coric and No. 12 Fabio Fognini among the men.

Both Nishikori, who had dropped the opening two sets against qualifier Kamil Majchrzak, and Fognini advanced when their opponents retired mid-match.

French Open finalist Dominic Thiem went the distance against Benoit Paire before wrapping up a 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 1-6, 6-3 win just after 2 a.m.

Williams’ older sister, Venus, is unseeded at a major for the first time in five years and she was a game from a first-round exit before coming all the way back to eliminate 25th-seeded Mihaela Buzarnescu 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3), 6-2.

The tournament’s two No. 1 seeds, Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep, played at night and both won — although in contrastin­g fashion. Djokovic eliminated Mitchell Krueger of the U.S. 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, while Halep trailed by a set and a break before coming back to beat Kaia Kanepi 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-2 and avoid becoming the first top-seeded woman in 40 years to lose her opening match at the Australian Open.

 ?? AP/KIN CHEUNG ?? United States’ Serena Williams hits a forehand return to Germany’s Tatjana Maria on Tuesday at the Australian Open tennis championsh­ips in Melbourne.
AP/KIN CHEUNG United States’ Serena Williams hits a forehand return to Germany’s Tatjana Maria on Tuesday at the Australian Open tennis championsh­ips in Melbourne.

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