March 28, 2008

Serena WINS Miami opener

Serena Williams began her title defense at the $3.45 million Sony Ericsson Open with a dominating performance. The eighth-seed needed just 54 minutes to claim a 6-1, 6-2 win over unseeded Romanian Edina Gallovits in second round action Friday.

One of 32 players to receive a first-round bye, Williams improved to 42-5 all-time here, including a win over world No. 1 Justine Henin in last year’s championship match. The 26-year-old also claimed three consecutive titles here from 2002-04 and was a runner-up to older sister Venus Williams in 1999.

The former world No. 1 and eight-time Grand Slam champion never faced a break against Gallovits and won 23-of-25 (92 percent) first-serve points. Her third-round foe will be No. 27 Flavia Pennetta, a 6-4, 6-2 winner against Anastasia Rodionova.

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