SERENA SURVIVES FIRST-SET SCARE TO WIN OPENER
MIAMI, March 21, 2014 (AFP) - Six-time winner Serena Williams survived a first-set scare before overcoming Yaroslava Shvedova 7-6 (9/7), 6-2 on Thursday to power into the third round of the ATP and WTA Miami Masters.
The top-seeded defending champion will next face France's Caroline Garcia after dispatching her Kazak rival in one hour, 45 minutes.
“The first set was really tough. She can make you play. She was hitting the ball well,” Williams said.
“I had to relax and try to keep my intensity and just try to get the win.” Williams lost a 3-1 lead and trailed 3-5 as Shvedova shifted her game up a gear.
Williams got back on track in the nick of time with a break for 5-all. A love game then ended with an ace for Williams before the set went to a tie-breaker.
In the decider, the 32-year-old Williams saved three set points as a nervous Shvedova missed her big upset chance in front of a screaming house full of her rival's supporters.
In one dramatic moment, a fight broke out in the upper deck of spectators, forcing a pause for security to intervene after Shvedova had double-faulted on her second set point.
After she also missed on a third, the Kazak handed over a set point to Williams, who finally finished off the 63-minute set on her second opportunity.
Williams tried to steady the second after a pair of breaks and finally won going away as she aced on her first match point to book a date with Garcia, who beat Czech Klara Zakopalova 76 (7/3), 7-6 (7/3).
“I'm just happy for another win,” said a relieved Williams, who was playing for the first time in a month while healing back pain.
Fourth seed Maria Sharapova, the 2013 runner-up to Williams, outlasted Japan's Kurumi Nara 6-3, 6-4 in another testing opening match.
German Angelique Kerber, seeded fifth, beat China's Peng Shuai 6-3, 16, 7-6 (7/5) while 2011 Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova, the number eight, defeated Argentine Paola Ormaechea 6-3, 6-4. Ana Ivanovic, the 12th seed, hammered American Lauren Davis 6-1, 6-1 while 14th-seeded Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki ousted Nadia Petrova 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 and 16th-seeded Aussie Samantha Stosur beat Kiki Bertens 6-3, 6-2. - Hewitt wins 600th, Tomic falls -Australian veteran Lleyton Hewitt captured his 600th career victory while countryman Bernard Tomic became the fastest loser in ATP history.
Six-time winner Serena Williams survived a first-set scare before overcoming Yaroslava Shvedova 7-6 (9/7), 6-2 on Thursday to power into the third round of the ATP and WTA Miami Masters