Defending champion Serena Williams dispelled any doubts about her fitness and form after a four-month break from the game with a tense 6-4 7-5 win over feisty Italian Camila Giorgi to reach the second round of the Australian Open on Monday (January 18).
The world number one had barely swung a racket in anger since her U.S. Open exit last September and entered a sweltering Rod Laver Arena to face the highest-ranked unseeded player in the draw amid speculation about the condition of her left knee.
Williams pulled out of her first match at the Hopman Cup in Perth earlier this month due to knee inflammation but the 34-year-old moved freely during a testing opener against Giorgi and said it gave her no problems.
Showing none of the lethargy that has sometimes dogged her in early grand slam matches, a calm and focused Williams roared to a 4-1 lead as the temperature soared over 32 degrees Celsius (90 Fahrenheit).
But 36th-ranked Giorgi, a slightly built player packing a meaty forehand, steadied herself to drag Williams into a baseline battle and the American’s screams of frustration underlined the growing tension as the match progressed.
Though a match for Williams in terms of court speed and fire-power, Giorgi landed barely a third of her first serves and gave up the decisive break at 5-5 in the second set with her 12th double-fault.
Williams needed no further invitation and closed out the match with a customary barrage of booming first serves.
In the men’s draw, world number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic marched imperiously into the second round with a dominant 6-3 6-2 6-4 victory over Chung Hyeon.
The 28-year-old Serb looked as untroubled by the Melbourne heat as he was by the South Korean teenager in the 115-minute contest, charging around Rod Laver Arena and rattling off 40 winners.
World number 51 Chung showed he had some impressive weapons at his disposal, particularly in the opening set, but was not always able to convert his best shots into points.
The 19-year-old stalled Djokovic’s progress in an absorbing fifth match of the second set, holding serve after eight deuces, but the five-times champion soon advanced to a second round date with either French teenager Quentin Halys or Ivan Dodig. (Reuters)
