Serena Williams is chasing an Open-era record 23rd major title.
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Williams is making her 17th appearance at the Australia Open, where she reached the final in 2003.
“She was just recently in the top 10”. I know that final was a tough three-set match.
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It doesn’t augur well for Duan, the Chinese number five who is the last player from her country standing after two days of carnage for her teammates.
The athletes last matched up at the 2015 French Open, which Williams won in three sets. Their career record is 1-1, with Williams having beaten Bencic on clay at Madrid in 2014. “She’s obviously won last week in Sydney”.
The 35-year-old Williams made no mistake on her second match point and pumped her first in celebration.
The reporter called Williams’ gameplay “scrappy”, referencing “a few more unforced errors, a few double-faults”.
Bencic undoubtedly put it up to the six-time Australian Open champion, presenting her with a late fightback and an overall testing opening round. Karolina Pliskova (5), Czech Republic, def. Sara Sorribes Tormo, Spain, 6-2, 6-0.
Venus and Serena Williams withdrew from a scheduled first-round doubles match later Wednesday, citing an injury to Venus’ right elbow.
“So I think it was not so bad to have a match like that in the first round”.
Doug Adler said Thursday that he was speaking about Williams’ tactics and strategy and “simply and inadvertently chose the wrong word to describe her play”.
“I’m ready. I’m fit”. “I just don’t want to get it into my head”.
Andy Murray was relieved rather than elated to come through a ragged opening match in his 12 Australian Open here campaign, beating the determined Ukrainian Illya Marchenko 7-5, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 on a sweltering afternoon. Philipp Kohlschreiber (32), Germany, def. Nikoloz Basilashvili, Georgia, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4. She had a good past year.
Spain’s Rafael Nadal answers a question during a press conference ahead of the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017.
Gilles Simon (25), France, def. Michael Mmoh, United States, 6-1, 6-3, 6-3.
Williams, a 22-time Grand Slam victor, entered the first major of the season with an air of uncertainty.
She banged out eight aces and converted 61 percent of her first serves in dusting off Bencic in little more than one hour.
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“I love being here and playing here”, said the American veteran. Then I hit four frames in a row. I was like, What’s going on?
