Former world No.1s Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters made triumphant returns to the WTA after long layoffs with victories on Wednesday at the WTA and ATP Miami hardcourt tournament.
Seven-time grand slam champion Williams, who has not played a WTA event since pulling out of last year’s US Open, defeated Japan’s Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-0 6-3 in 77 minutes.
“It was definitely a bit nerve-wracking … but I was able to get a great start and settle in and play well against a really difficult opponent. It was definitely an ideal start.”
Williams announced at last year’s US Open she had been diagnosed with the auto-immune disorder Sjogren syndrome, an illness that saps her energy and causes pain in her joints.
“Just to be in this tournament is a huge win for me,” Williams said.
Williams, who played doubles for the US Fed Cup team last month, pulled out of last year’s US Open after a first-round victory.
“The good thing is I’m playing well. I know how to play, so I haven’t lost any steam in that, the fact that I can play tennis. That’s comforting for me,” she said.
Belgium’s Clijsters, playing for the first time since her Australian Open semi-final loss to world No.1 Victoria Azarenka, rallied to eliminate Australia’s Jarmila Gajdosova 4-6 6-1 6-0.
“It’s always tough to get that first match rhythm under your belt,” Clijsters said.
Clijsters, who won at Miami in 2005 and 2010, skipped last week’s Indian Wells tournament to rest her injured ankle, the latest in a list of ailments in the past year that has also included a bad shoulder, wrist and abdomen worries.
“One thing I can count on is I have the experience. It doesn’t take me that long to get used to it again. But it has become tougher,” Clijsters said.
Williams advanced to a second-round match against Czech third seed, and Wimbledon champion, Petra Kvitova, who had a first-round bye, while next up for Clijsters is her first match against Germany’s 14th-seeded Julia Goerges.
Kvitova defeated Williams in 2008 in their only prior match.
“She has been playing very well in the last 12 months or so,” Williams said.
“But I have had a lot of experience with playing well.”
As well as Gajdosova, Australian wildcard Olivia Rogowska also lost – 6-4 6-1 to Frenchwoman Stephanie Foretz Gacon.
First-round matches began in the men’s draw with Russian Nikolay Davydenko outlasting American James Blake 4-6 6-4 6-4 to book a second-round date with US 10th seed John Isner, the runner-up to Roger Federer last week at Indian Wells.
Dutchman Robin Haase beat Australian wildcard Marinko Matosevic 6-3 6-4, while Colombia’s Alejandro Falla led 6-1 2-1 when Uzbek Denis Istomin retired with an injury.
Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez made his ATP farewell as Frenchman Nicolas Mahut defeated him 7-5 4-6 7-6 (7-3).
Gonzalez last month announced his decision to retire after this event.
