World No.1 Serena Williams served nine aces during her first match this season on clay, beating Italy’s Camila Giorgi 6-2 6-3 at the WTA event in Charleston.
Williams did not commit a double fault but took full advantage of 12 by her 85th-ranked rival to win after 82 minutes in her first match since capturing the Miami crown last Saturday with victory over world No.2 Maria Sharapova in the final.
“It wasn’t great for me – I played well, but I wasn’t great, footing-wise,” Williams said of the switch from the hard courts of Miami to the clay courts of Charleston.
“I was just trying to get my stability. I only had one or two days of practice. But I felt good. I’m glad I came here and hope I can get ready for what can hopefully be another good clay court season.”
Next in the path of Williams, who was among eight top seeds to receive a first-round bye, is a quarter-final against Germany’s 15th seed Sabine Lisicki, who routed US qualifier Mallory Burdette 6-0 6-0.
Others reaching the quarter-finals included Swiss Stefanie Voegele, who ousted Spanish seventh seed Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2 6-4, and Romanian 11th seed Sorana Cirstea, who had a walkover against Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues.
American wildcard Bethanie Mattek-Sands rebounded from a marathon first-round victory on Monday over Australian Anastasia Rodionova to topple fourth-seeded compatriot Sloane Stephens 6-2 6-0 and reach the third round.
Among first-round winners were Britain’s Laura Robson, who dismissed Spain’s Estrella Cabeza Candela 6-2 6-2, and New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic, who eliminated Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 to book a meeting with Australian third seed Samantha Stosur.