Serena battles ankle injury as Azarenka powers on
MELBOURNE (AFP) – Five-time champion Serena Williams shrugged off an ankle injury to sweep into the Australian Open second round Tuesday where she was joined by world number one Victoria Azarenka.
Williams was coasting against Romanian Edina Gallovits-Hall in the first set when she landed heavily on her right ankle and went to ground, and needed extensive treatment.
She returned to court with her ankle heavily restrapped and routed her opponent 6-0, 6-0, but was clearly in pain with her movement hindered.
Serena lies on the court after falling during her first round match against Gallovits-Hall. AP
In contrast, defending champion Azarenka, in the same side of the draw as Williams and scheduled to meet her in the semifinals, was given a testing time by another Romanian, Monica Niculescu.
The Belarusian top seed, who beat Maria Sharapova in the final last year and is defending a Grand Slam title for the first time, came from 3-0 down in the second set to eventually prevail 6-1, 6-4.
Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki was also pushed hard by Germany’s Sabine Lisicki.
The Dane, who finished 2010 and 2011 as the world’s top-ranked player, has been struggling this year but dug deep to reel off six straight games in the third set to go through 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Elsewhere, seventh seeded Italian Sara Errani became the highest ranked casualty, crashing out to Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro, while Japan’s ageless Kimiko Date-Krumm struck a blow for older women.
The Japanese number one, aged 42, became the oldest female to win a main draw match at the Australian Open, upsetting 12th seed Nadia Pedrova 6-2, 6-0, 12 years her junior.
In doing so, she surpassed Britain’s Virginia Wade as the oldest main draw winner. Wimbledon champion Wade won in 1985 when 40 years, 138 days.
Fifteen-time Grand Slam winner Williams, 31, battled through the pain barrier against Gallovits-Hall and vowed to continue in the tournament as she searches for a sixth Australian crown.
Fresh from claiming her 47th career title in Brisbane and with a rare calendar-year Grand Slam in her sights, she will ice her ankle and await the doctor’s verdict.
An injured Williams will play into the hands of Azarenka, who six won WTA titles in 2012 but was forced to withdrew from Brisbane, where she was due to meet Williams in the semi-finals, with a toe injury.
She showed little effect from the problem on Rod Laver Arena against Niculescu, but admitted she needed to yell at herself when she lost focus in the second set.
She next plays Eleni Daniilidou of Greece, with the other key player standing in the way of her title defence, Sharapova, in the other half of the draw.
