Serena Williams blasts past Varvara Lepchenko in the opener – Brisbane International 2013
Serena Williams resumed the play from where she left, hammering Varvara Lepchenko to register the first victory of the new season at the Brisbane International on Sunday. She clinched the triumph in straight sets 6-2, 6-1; rounded
off the encounter in just a fraction under an hour.
Former world number one didn’t seem to be troubled by any sort of pain after going through big toes surgery in Florida, earlier this month. Everyone was worried of her fitness but the 31-year-old American came out firing at her
compatriot; registering the first ever head-to-head victory over Lepchenko.
Williams smashed five aces, converted six of the allotted seven breakpoints and saved five of them to sustain the lead throughout the encounter. She was under the cosh in the opening serve game but that was the only time she was
ever tested. After registering the first serve hold, it was all about the third ranked Williams who gathered the breakpoint in the second game of the match and another one in the fourth game to make it 4-0 in her favour.
She was on course to register a bagel on her new season start but the 26-year-old American fought back to win a breakthrough in the fifth game and grabbed another serve hold to make it 2-4. However, the 15-time Grand Slam Champion
captured the following two games to cruise ahead with a set lead.
The 21st ranked American started the second set quite well but lost the track on her second serve game and gifted a breakthrough to the in-form Williams. She trailed by 1-4 at the end of the five games and her compatriot
gathered another breakpoint to make it 1-5. The third ranked Williams lost no point on her serve in the following game and ended the encounter in her favour.
It was a fantastic start to season for the 31-year-old American who is currently on a 13-match unbeaten run now. Last time she lost at the professional platform was at Cincinnati in August. She will lock horns with the winner of
the contest that will take place between Alize Cornet and a qualifier.
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