Defending champion Serena Williams reached the Wimbledon second round Tuesday with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Swiss qualifier Amra Sadikovic as her mother watched from the front row of the Royal Box.
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She fell to Roberta Vinci of Italy in the 2015 U.S. Open semifinal, Angelique Kerber of Germany in the 2016 Australian Open final and Garbine Muguruza of Spain in the French Open final this month. “I don’t feel any pressure or stress”, Williams said.
Chris Evert and LZ Granderson break down what went right for Serena Williams during her first-round win at Wimbledon.
The 148th-ranked Sadikovic appeared in danger of being humbled when, after spurning two break points in the opening game, she was ruthlessly broken to love.
Williams eased to her 80th career victory at Wimbledon to open Tuesday’s Centre Court programme, in a straight-sets win where she was rarely troubled by the world number 148.
To her credit, the top seed got back on serve immediately, but Sadikovic looked increasingly assured as the match continued, her performance drawing appreciation from the crowd. “I always expect the best from everyone”. “I never underestimate anyone”. I think about winning the French Open. “I mean, everyone’s experience is different”, she added.
She is achieving more in a period of supposed decline than most will fit into a career, and few would bet against her winning another slam to match Steffi Graf’s Open era record of 22 majors.
At her postmatch news conference, Williams was asked how much she thinks about equaling that record.
“Quite happy with the way I’m playing so far”, Wawrinka told reporters via the tournament’s official website.
While Williams hit more double faults than aces (5-4), she lost just seven points when she put her first serve in. Well, maybe not everyone, but I’ve been pretty low.
The Venezuelan-born Spaniard, beaten by Serena Williams in last year’s Wimbledon final, took the first set in routine fashion before Giorgi rallied to level the match. “There’s nothing that’s not mentally too hard for me”. “I’m also going to be super protected and ready, hopefully, to be the best that I can be, and probably beyond that”. But at the same time I obviously understand where they’re coming from and how they feel.
“She plays an old school grass-court game”, Williams said.
The retractable roof was closed for the match – the third on Centre Court – after the first rain delay of the tournament, which suspended all matches on the outside courts.
Nick Kyrgios, the Australian 15th seed, beat Czech wildcard Radek Stepanek, the oldest man in the draw at 37, in four sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (9/11), 6-1.
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Since undergoing surgery on her left wrist two years ago, the 2008 Wimbledon junior champion has struggled to recapture the form that lifted her to 27th in the world in 2013.
