The Hindu : Serena returns with an easy win

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 28, 2004

Sport

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Serena returns with an easy win

KEY BISCAYNE, MARCH 27. Resplendent rather than rusty, Serena Williams looked like a costumed superhero and played pretty well, too. She unveiled a sleek white and silver outfit, smacked aces, pumped her fist and won in 42 minutes. Serena's back, ending an eight-month layoff by easily advancing at the Nasdaq-100 Open with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over qualifier Marta Marrero here on Friday.

The match was the first for Williams since she earned her sixth Grand Slam title by beating older sister Venus at Wimbledon last July. She had been sidelined since undergoing knee surgery in August.

``I was very nervous going out there,'' she said. ``Then I decided that I'm just going to go out there and do the best I can.''

She remains a heavyweight on the women's tour, and now that Williams is back, much of her competition is missing. She has slipped to No. 6 in the rankings, but the five players ahead of her — including top-ranked Justine Henin-Hardenne — are absent from the Key Biscayne field, leaving Williams seeded No. 1.

A potential opponent in the final is the second-seeded Venus. Because of injuries, she has played just six matches since Wimbledon.

Also in the mix is No. 4 Jennifer Capriati, who opened by beating Klara Koukalova 6-0, 6-1. Sixth-seeded Ai Sugiyama lost to Maria Vento-Kabchi 6-1, 7-5.

``I could tell she was a little bit nervous,'' Williams said. ``It's kind of hard to play a player that everyone has hyped up so much about the big comeback.''

Capriati, runner-up to Williams the past two years at Key Biscayne, wasn't surprised to see her rival win so easily.

``You're never going to forget how to ride a bike, you know,'' Capriati said. ``Some things are just so natural.''

How did Williams grade her performance? ``I've never given myself 100 per cent,'' she said. ``I'm pretty much insatiable.''

The stadium was mostly empty and the crowd subdued, even when Williams completed her win. But she grinned, waved and blew kisses, polishing her celebratory ritual for more significant victories to come.In men's second-round matches, Goran Ivanisevic retired after losing a set to Rafael Nadal. Ivanisevic complained of pain in his fragile left shoulder, which has plagued him for much of the past three years.

The first seeded player to lose was No. 16 Mardy Fish, eliminated by qualifier Julien Benneteau 6-4, 6-4. No. 7 Tim Henman was beaten by Jurgen Melzer 7-6(3), 2-6, 7-6(4).

Lleyton Hewitt defeated Robin Soderling 6-4, 6-2. Todd Martin saved a match point and won the final five games to beat No. 29 Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 5-7, 7-5. American Robby Ginepri eliminated No. 30 Gaston Gaudio 7-6(5), 6-2.

The results:

Men: Second round: Julien Benneteau bt Mardy Fish 6-4, 6-4; Todd Martin bt Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 5-7, 7-5; Guillermo Coria bt Wayne Ferreira 7-6(2), 6-0; Jurgen Melzer bt Tim Henman 7-6(3), 2-6, 7-6(4); Andrei Pavel bt Nicolas Massu 7-6(3), 6-1; Rafael Nadal bt Goran Ivanisevic 6-4, retd.; Ivan Ljubicic bt Arnaud Clement 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; Lleyton Hewitt bt Robin Soderling 6-4, 6-2; Juan Ignacio Chela bt Cyril Saulnier 2-6, 6-4, 7-5; Robby Ginepri bt Gaston Gaudio 7-6(5), 6-2; Nicolas Kiefer bt Rainer Schuettler 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(3).

First round: Olivier Rochus bt Kenneth Carlson 7-5, 6-1; Xavier Malisse bt Irakli Labadze 6-2, 6-0; Mariano Zabaleta bt Gregory Carraz 6-4, 7-5; Guillermo Canas bt Tommy Haas 6-1, 7-6(6); Franco Squillari bt Lee Hyung-taik 2-6, 6-2, 6-3; Juan Monaco bt Joachim Johansson 7-6(6), 6-2.

Women: Second round: Serena Williams bt Marta Marrero 6-1, 6-0; Eleni Daniilidou bt Akiko Morigami 6-3, 6-3; Jennifer Capriati bt Klara Koukalova 6-0, 6-1; Maria Vento-Kabchi bt Ai Sugiyama 6-1, 7-5; Magui Serna bt Jamea Jackson 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-2; Jill Craybas bt Petra Mandula 7-6(5), 6-2; Elena Likhovtseva bt Barbora Strycova 6-1, 6-4; Aniko Kapros bt Tina Pisnik 6-3, 1-6, 6-4; Karolina Sprem bt Lindsay Lee-Waters 6-1, 6-2; Tatiana Golovin bt Dinara Safina 6-1, 6-2; Maria Sharapova bt Shinobu Asagoe 6-2, 3-6, 6-0; Jelena Jankovic bt Magdalena Maleeva 7-6(5), 6-2.

First round: Saori Obata bt Alina Jidkova 6-3, 3-6, 6-0; Lubomira Kurhajcova bt Nicole Vaidisova 6-2, 6-4; Ruxandra Dragomir Ilie bt Zuzana Ondraskova 6-4, 6-4; Vera Douchevina bt Emmanuelle Gagliardi 6-2, 6-4; Maria Kirilenko bt Els Callens 6-7(3), 6-1, 7-6(3); Nicole Pratt bt Arantxa Parra 7-6(3), 6-7(2), 6-4; Shenay Perry bt Marlene Weingartner 6-2, 6-1; Tatiana Panova bt Barbara Schett 6-4, 6-2; Kristina Brandi bt Jelena Kostanic 7-5, 6-2. — AP

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Serena returns with an easy win