Serena Williams shrugged off her jet lag to lead the US to a 3-0 victory over the Czech Republic at the Hopman Cup mixed teams tennis tournament yesterday.
Little more than 24 hours after stepping off a marathon flight to Perth, the seventh-ranked Williams opened her season with a three-set win over Lucie Safarova and said she still had the desire to regain the top world ranking.
"Of course, I want to be No. 1 and I want to win Grand Slams," said Williams, who has already won eight Grand Slam titles. "I wouldn't be out there if I didn't have those goals."
PHOTO: AP
Williams thrashed Safarova in the first set 6-0 thanks to her big serves and powerful ground strokes. But she lost her range in the second and the 23rd-ranked Safarova fought back, forcing a deciding third set.
The 26-year-old American's experience then came into play and she showed her trademark grit to secure victory, 6-0, 2-6, 7-5.
The Group B tie was decided when an ailing Tomas Berdych was forced to withdraw from the mixed doubles against Williams and partner Mardy Fish, giving the US an unbeatable 2-0 lead.
Fish was given a walkover in the men's singles, completing the 3-0 sweep.
The Americans are now in prime position to reach Friday's final, having beaten India in their opening tie on Saturday when Meghann Shaughnessy filled in for Williams, who delayed her arrival here because of illness.
In the third set, the 20-year-old Safarova was up a break leading 4-2 and had a game point on her own serve for a 5-2 lead.
But Williams broke back to 4-3 and broke again in the 11th game when Safarova pushed a forehand wide for 6-5, before serving the match out.
Williams -- who teamed with James Blake to win the Hopman Cup in 2003 -- said she was disappointed with her form, but pleased to post a win.
"Lucie's a very good player -- I wasn't feeling really motivated and I felt like I wasn't moving at all," Williams said. "I was able to pick up my game at the right time. She had a chance to go 5-2 and I was able to bring it through. That is really satisfying and very pleasing."
■ MEN'S HARDCOURT
AFP, ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA
Fifth seed Radek Stepanek retired from his opening round match at the Australian men's hardcourt tennis championship at Memorial Drive yesterday with a heel injury.
The Czech bowed out to Australian wildcard Joe Sirianni while trailing 6-7 (3/7), 3-4 and down a break in the second set, citing a right heel problem.
The former world No. 8 told reporters he did not pull out of the match because of the fierce heat, with temperatures hovering around 42oC.
"Definitely, it's the hottest tournament I've ever played but it's different. Some in the [United] States, in Washington, you have very high humidity, here it's very dry," he said. "Guys are coming in here and a couple of them are already sick or injured. On the court it can be around 50oC, so definitely it's maybe too much."
Stepanek was not the only seed to crash out on yesterday's first day, with seventh-seeded Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro beaten 6-3, 6-3 by American Michael Russell.
Elsewhere, American Sam Querry eliminated Belgian Steve Darcis, 7-5, 6-4 and Germany's Benjamin Becker ousted Australian Robert Smeets, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.
■
WOMEN'S HARDCOURT
AFP, GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA
Italy's Tathiana Garbin shocked No. 2 seed Nadia Petrova of Russia 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 in the first round of the Australian women's hardcourt tennis tournament yesterday.
Garbin reached the semi-finals of this event last year only to withdraw with breathing difficulties when leading Martina Hingis 4-3 in the first set.
But she had no such problem against Petrova as she chased down almost every shot and used her court coverage to overcome the powerful Russian.
It was her first win over Petrova in five encounters.
"I feel like I didn't finish the tournament last year," Garbin said. "To come back here and win this first round match was very tough because Nadia is one of the best players in the world. I'm proud of myself today."
Eighth seed Hungarian Agnes Szavay was also a first-round loser, bowing out to qualifying "lucky loser" Yuliana Fedak of Ukraine.
Fedak only made the main draw when countrywoman Julia Vakulenko withdrew injured at the last minute, but came back from losing the first set to win 3-6, 7-5, 6-2.
Defending champion and third seed Dinara Safina of Russia escaped a similar fate when she struggled past Australian-based Slovakian Jarmila Gajdosova 6-4, 1-6, 6-2.
■ AUCKLAND CLASSIC
AFP, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND
Lindsay Davenport continued her tennis comeback with an easy win in the first round of the Auckland Classic women's tournament yesterday and said she believed she would keep getting better.
The unseeded Davenport had little trouble disposing of fellow American Laura Granville, 6-2, 6-3.
Davenport's second round opponent will be fifth seed Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain, who beat Nicole Pratt of Australia 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.
The one seeded player to fall in the first round was France's Emilie Loit, the eighth seed who lost in straight sets to Ashley Harkleroad of the US, 6-4, 6-1.
Andre de Grasse, the reigning Olympic champion in the men’s 200m, and many other top-class international athletes are to showcase their talent in Taipei at the Taiwan Athletics Open early next month, according to the event’s official Web site. The Canadian sprinter, who clocked 19.62 seconds to top the podium in Tokyo in 2021, is to compete at the Taipei Stadium after the two-day event was upgraded to a leg of the World Athletics Continental Tour. The elevated status of the Taiwan Athletics Open means participants can earn more ranking points, making it possible for the Chinese Taipei Athletics Association (CTAA), the
Novak Djokovic on Sunday described his shock third-round elimination from the Internazionali BNL d’Italia by Alejandro Tabilo as “concerning,” two days after he was hit on the head by a bottle, which he said has caused nausea and dizzy spells. Djokovic’s bid for a record-extending 41st Masters 1000 title was ended in just more than an hour by Chilean Tabilo, who is ranked 32nd in the world and claimed his first win over a top-10 opponent, 6-2, 6-3. The 24-time Grand Slam winner said that his subdued performance on a court where he has won six titles might have been due to
Caitlin Clark on Thursday walked into her new home arena with No. 22 shirts and jerseys peppered from floor to ceiling. She left as a first-time WNBA winner. A late-arriving, but louder-than-usual crowd roared during her official introduction to Fever fans and again when Clark made her first basket, a layup with 7 minutes left in the first quarter. The cheers grew when she completed a three-point play a few minutes later and hit a crescendo when she finally made a long three-pointer from the edge of the fieldhouse logo late in the third quarter. Clark successfully navigated the city’s most anticipated rookie
TO REAL MADRID? Kylian Mbappe informed PSG privately in February of his intention to depart when his contract expires, but this was the first time he acknowledged it publicly French soccer player Kylian Mbappe on Friday confirmed that he is to leave French champions Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, with Real Madrid widely expected to be his next destination. The announcement brings an end to a prolific association with his hometown team, which began when he signed from AS Monaco in 2017 in a deal worth 180 million euros (US$194 million). “I wanted to announce to you all that it’s my last year at Paris Saint-Germain. I will not extend and the adventure will come to an end in a few weeks,” Mbappe, 25, said in a video