Serena Williams on Thursday night won her first match in her comeback at the BNP Paribas Open after a 14-month layoff for the birth of her first child.
The 23-time major winner beat Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan 7-5, 6-3 in the first round Thursday night.
With new husband and Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian looking on, Williams played from behind until breaking Diyas in the 11th game. Diyas netted a forehand and Williams yelled: “Come on!” as the crowd cheered.
Photo: AP
Williams served a love game capped by a 161kph ace in her first service game. She had break points in the first and fifth games, but could not convert.
She started hitting harder and her familiar grunting returned when she tied the set 5-5.
Diyas and Williams traded service breaks early in the second set. Williams then broke her opponent again en route to winning the final five games. She smiled as she walked to the net, and her family gave her a standing ovation.
Also in her box was Williams’ mother, Oracene, sisters Lyndrea and Isha, her agent and her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou. Elder sister Venus watched from a balcony seat in an upper-level box on a 20° night in the southern California desert.
Williams has been away since winning last year’s Australian Open while pregnant. She gave birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr, six months ago.
Ohanian bought four billboards along Interstate 10 outside Palm Springs, California, in tribute to his wife. The fourth billboard shows a photograph of Williams and their daughter with the phrase “G.M.O.A.T” — greatest mother of all time — and is signed by Alexis Sr and Jr.
Williams’ only competitive appearances since the birth came in December last year at an exhibition in Abu Dhabi, a Fed Cup doubles match with Venus last month and an exhibition in New York on Monday.
She is playing at Indian Wells under a protected ranking of 22nd.
Williams has not been unseeded at a tournament since 2011 in Cincinnati.
Victoria Azarenka of Belarus followed Williams on Stadium Court. The two-time winner of the desert tournament needed a wild card to get in, because she has been off the tour since Wimbledon.
Azarenka, who gave birth to her son, Leo, in December 2016, has been in a custody fight that limited her travel.
She defeated Britain’s Heather Watson 6-4, 6-2.
In other first-round matches, Cici Bellis overpowered qualifier Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-0, 6-3.
The 18-year-old American, who turned down a full scholarship from Stanford to turn pro in August last year, had her serve broken just once by the Spaniard in the 65-minute match.
Bellis earned a second-round matchup with defending champion Elena Vesnina of Russia.
Bellis led five Americans into the second round. She was joined by wild card Danielle Collins and Jennifer Brady, who both got stretched to three sets.
Taylor Fritz needed three sets to advance in the men’s draw, as did Mitchell Krueger and Jared Donaldson.
Other winners Thursday were Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig of Puerto Rico, qualifier Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium and Fernando Verdasco of Spain.
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