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Serena Williams on song in WTA return at Stanford

Serena Williams Put A Worrying Wimbledon Behind Her, Launching Her Build-up To The US Open With A 7-5, 6-2 Victory Over Karolina Pliskova At Stanford.

PTI | Updated on: 31 Jul 2014, 03:07:17 PM

Stanford :

Serena Williams put a worrying Wimbledon behind her, launching her build-up to the US Open with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Karolina Pliskova at Stanford.

The American world number one, playing for the first time since her third-round singles exit at Wimbledon was followed by a dramatic doubles retirement, showed no sign of illness or rust as she rolled to victory over the 45th-ranked Czech in 64 minutes.

After enjoying a first-round bye, the top seed punched her ticket to the quarter-finals of the WTA hardcourt tournament, where she'll face the winner of Thursday's second-round match between former world number one Ana Ivanovic and Canadian qualifier Carol Zhao.

Second-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska was less successful in her first outing since a disappointing Wimbledon.

Unseeded Varvara Lepchenko toppled the world number five 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 for her first win over the Polish star in six career meetings.

Radwanska, in her first match since a fourth-round Wimbledon exit, squandered a 3-1 lead in the opening set.

She broke Lepchenko three times to take the second set, but was on the defensive after an early break in the third.

Radwanska broke back to knot the set at 3-3, but Lepchenko, ranked 59th in the world, broke again for a 5-4 lead and seized her chance for a first career victory over a top-five player, holding serve in the final game to seal the triumph after two hours and 35 minutes.

With the US Open due to start on August 25, it was another disappointing outing for Radwanska.

She has yet to lift a trophy in 2014, and hasn't reached a final since a runner-up finish to Italian Flavia Pennetta at Indian Wells in March. Lepchenko next faces US qualifier Sachia Vickery, a 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 6-1 winner over Puerto Rico's Monica Puig.

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First Published : 31 Jul 2014, 03:04:00 PM

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