RUTHLESS SERENA MAKES BIG START
MURRAY LIMPS HOME WITH EARLY LOSS
MELBOURNE – Serena Williams made a ruthless start to her quest for a recordequalling 24th Grand Slam singles title with a 6-0 6-2 victory over unseeded German Tatjana Maria in the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday.
Playing her first Grand Slam since her infamous rant against the umpire at last year’s US Open final, the 37-year-old Williams seemed to have decided to move on from last September’s incident that caused a furore across the world.
Williams showed on Tuesday she has lost none of her brutal power and athleticism in the match between the two mothers at Rod Laver Arena.
She peppered the court with her heavy groundstrokes and also advanced to the net whenever she had an opportunity, losing only 24 points against Maria and she concentrated on being consistent and cutting down on unforced errors.
“It was nice to be back out there. Last time I was out there was a great moment, especially internally for me, it was even a better moment,” she added. “I think it was a good match today.”
Williams finished the match in just 49 minutes on her second match point when Maria, who is also her neighbour, sent a backhand wide and the American will next play Canadian Eugenie Bouchard, who beat Peng Shuai of China 6-2 6-1.
Two-time champion Victoria Azarenka’s return to the Australian Open for the first time since 2016 has ended in a first-round loss to to the No. 110-ranked Laura Siegemund, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-2.
Playing on a surgically repaired right hip so painful that pulling on socks is a chore, Andy Murray summoned the strength and strokes to erase a big deficit and force a fifth set before eventually succumbing to 22nd-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-2, his first opening-round loss at a Grand Slam tournament in 11 years.
Murray, just 31, is a year removed from his operation, and he said that he will decide in the next week or so whether to have a second one. If he opts to avoid another procedure, he might be able to play in July at Wimbledon, where he won two of his three major titles, including the first for a British man in 77 years.