World number one Serena Williams rallied to advance to the third round of the WTA Rogers Cup on Tuesday by defeating Italy’s Flavia Pennetta 2-6, 6-3, 6-0.
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Lisicki, who got her North American hard-court campaign off to a shaky start with a first-round loss last week at Stanford, came out looking sharper and ready to play, opening the match with a break.
“The elbow was okay – definitely not flawless, but I’ll see how it recovers tomorrow”, Williams said. “My opponent and I were under the same conditions, and she played really well”.
Williams won the Rogers Cup each of the past two times it was in Toronto, in 2013 and 2011, but lamented that she always gets tough draws in this tournament.
A win at the Open would give Williams, 33, the sweep of the four tennis grand slams, elevating her already brilliant professional career to an entirely different level.
And she did. Serena’s line, Serena Williams Signature Statement, sells exclusively on HSN, and complements the fashionista-on-the-courts persona that she and her sister, Venus, cultivated.
Lastly, the evening session saw Canadian Eugenie Bouchard fall to Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in three sets (6-0, 5-7, 6-2).
“It’s for sure a step in the right direction”, Bouchard told reporters. Williams believes that “once [she] started being more positive“, her game improved and she “started actually playing better“. Her freakish episode during a doubles match at Wimbledon was linked to her relationship trouble with Mouratoglou. “So I’m pleased with my performance”.
“I really had an off day”, Williams said. “Everyone only talks about men’s tennis, but to have someone like Serena, it’s really very fortunate so I think she should get even more credit than she does”.
“I didn’t think it would last this long”, she said.
At Flushing Meadows, fans are anticipating a historic victory from Williams as tickets for the women’s finals match are selling for an average of more than $400, according to Forbes. Williams also showed off her insane flexibility in one picture, which featured her doing a full split on top of parallel bars.
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Carol Zhao of Richmond Hill, Ont., lost 6-1, 6-1 to American Madison Brengle.
