FEB 20, DUBAI:
Top-seeded Serena Williams faced some early struggles before defeating Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova 7-6 (8), 6-0 in the second round of the Dubai Championships on Tuesday.
Williams, playing in Dubai courtesy of a wild card, has been sidelined with a back injury since losing to Ana Ivanovic in the fourth round of the Australian Open last month. It took Williams the first set to adjust to the left-handed Makarova’s ability to jam many of her shots into the top-ranked American’s body.
“I felt a little rusty, but it was OK,” Williams said. “Body is fine. I just had to get my feet moving, but it was OK. I was really telling myself to stay positive, because I was making a lot of errors that I normally don’t make, and my serve just wasn’t popping the way it normally is,” Williams said. “It definitely got better in the second set.”
Williams now plays Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic or fifth-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia in the quarter-finals. Earlier, Ivanovic sent sixth-seeded Angelique Kerber packing 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6). The former No 1 Ivanovic had three match points on Kerber’s serve in the 12th game but couldn’t close it out against the German who reached last week’s Doha final.
Seventh-seeded Simona Halep, who won last week’s Qatar Open in Doha, retired with a right Achilles injury while trailing Alize Cornet of France 6-1, 1-1, in the first match of the day. Eighth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki had to overcome a one-set deficit to outmaneuver Sabine Lisicki of Germany 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 and move into the second round.
Top-seeded Serena Williams faced some early struggles before defeating Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova 7-6 (8), 6-0 in the second round of the Dubai Championships on Tuesday.
Williams, playing in Dubai courtesy of a wild card, has been sidelined with a back injury since losing to Ana Ivanovic in the fourth round of the Australian Open last month. It took Williams the first set to adjust to the left-handed Makarova’s ability to jam many of her shots into the top-ranked American’s body.
“I felt a little rusty, but it was OK,” Williams said. “Body is fine. I just had to get my feet moving, but it was OK. I was really telling myself to stay positive, because I was making a lot of errors that I normally don’t make, and my serve just wasn’t popping the way it normally is,” Williams said. “It definitely got better in the second set.”
Williams now plays Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic or fifth-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia in the quarter-finals. Earlier, Ivanovic sent sixth-seeded Angelique Kerber packing 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6). The former No 1 Ivanovic had three match points on Kerber’s serve in the 12th game but couldn’t close it out against the German who reached last week’s Doha final.
Seventh-seeded Simona Halep, who won last week’s Qatar Open in Doha, retired with a right Achilles injury while trailing Alize Cornet of France 6-1, 1-1, in the first match of the day. Eighth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki had to overcome a one-set deficit to outmaneuver Sabine Lisicki of Germany 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 and move into the second round.
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