Five-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams insisted on Tuesday that her bitter, public feud with Maria Sharapova was not on her mind as she stormed into the second round.
World No.1 Williams racked-up her 32nd successive win with a 6-1 6-3 triumph over Luxembourg’s Mandy Minella, but faced more questions over her controversial remarks about Sharapova’s romance with her ex-boyfriend, Bulgarian player Grigor Dimitrov.
“No, it hasn’t been a distraction. Like I said, I’m just here to focus on the tennis,” said the 31-year-old Williams.
“I am just here to play Wimbledon. It’s the premier tournament in the world, of the year, so that’s what’s most important.”
Williams said at the weekend that she had apologised to Sharapova for the jibe which had appeared in a Rolling Stone interview.
The Russian star had hit back with a vitriolic attack on Williams’ current relationship with French coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
However, the two players have yet to meet on site at the All England Club since the storm broke which may be just as well as they would share the same Champions locker room, separate from the other women.
“We’re playing on opposite days, so we don’t really see each other,” said Williams.
The American took out her frustrations on the hapless Minella, the world No.92 who has never defeated a top-30 player, let alone one of the calibre of Williams, whose French Open title three weeks ago took her majors haul to 16.
Victory was also her 75th in her last 78 matches, a run that stretches back to her shock first round departure at Roland Garros in 2012, the worst Grand Slam exit of her career.
Tuesday’s 32nd successive win took her to within just three of the record set by older sister Venus in 2000.
Williams goes on to face French qualifier Caroline Garcia, who she beat in the second round in Paris, for a place in the last 32.
Also on Tuesday, 42-year-old Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm had an even easier time getting past an opponent less than half her age, German teenager Carina Witthoeft 6-0 6-2 in just 44 minutes.
Last year’s runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland cruised to a 6-1 6-1 win over Yvonne Meusburger of Austria, while sixth-seeded Li Na of China and No.7 Angelique Kerber of Germany also advanced in straight sets.
Home favorite Laura Robson delivered the biggest upset, beating 10th-seeded Maria Kirilenko 6-3 6-4 to become the first British woman to beat a top-10 ranked opponent at Wimbledon in 15 years.
In less of a surprise, Arantxa Rus lost – again.
The 156th-ranked Dutch player equalled a WTA record by extending her losing streak to 17 straight matches with a 6-4 6-2 defeat to Russia’s Olga Puchkova.
“This year is not a good year for me,” Rus said.
