History maker Aiava credits Serena for inspiration

First player born in 21st century to win on WTA Tour is a fan of American legend

BRISBANE: Australian teenager Destanee Aiava created a slice of history Tuesday when she became the first player born in the 2000s to win a main draw match on the WTA Tour.

The 16-year-old Aiava beat fellow qualifier Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the US 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the Brisbane International in a rain-delayed match.

After play was halted Monday night with Aiava leading 3-0 and 40-15 in the third set, the young Australian overcame nerves and a Mattek-Sands fightback to move into a second round clash against veteran Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Aiava will create further history at the Australian Open later this month when she becomes the first player born in the 2000s to play in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament.

Born in Australia to rugby-loving Samoan parents who knew nothing of tennis, Aiava began playing the sport at the age of five after watching Serena Williams in the Australian Open.

"I think it was just her vibe," she said of Serena. "Like, I couldn't feel it from the other side of the TV, but it was just, like, her energy, and that kind of drew me to the sport."

Aiava's powerful physique has drawn comparisons with Serena, and the teenager admitted that she has based her game on the American superstar.

"Not so much a girl's game — more a guy's game," she said. "More variety."

Aiava said that nerves had got the better of her at the start of the match, played on Showcourt One in front of full stands.

"I was pretty nervous playing in front of that many people. I have never played in front of such a big crowd before. I think the first set of the match I started off pretty bad," she said.

"I think coming out, onto the court, I need to work on not being so tight and feeling the pressure. But as the match progressed, I felt a little bit more relaxed."

Serena, meanwhile, was troubled by windy conditions and some early rust before beating 69th-ranked Pauline Parmentier 6-3, 6-4 to launch her comeback from a four-month lay-off at the Auckland Classic on Tuesday.

In her first outing since she was shocked by Karolina Pliskova in the US Open semi-finals in September, the world number two made a sluggish start to a season in which she is seeking a record 23rd Grand Slam title.

In her first-round match, delayed from Monday night when rain washed out play, Williams struggled initially as France's Parmentier broke the American's first service game and then held to love.

The 35-year-old Williams, using Auckland to warm up for the Australian Open, only had a 48% success rate with her first serve and double-faulted four times as she had trouble adjusting to the swirling wind.

But Williams — who shares the Open-era record of 22 Grand Slams with Steffi Graf, and is two behind Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 — grew steadily stronger and finished with her eighth ace.

She said her rhythm returned as the match progressed.

"I'm feeling like I'm trying to get there. Obviously every match counts," she said. "This wind was getting to me. Every day I've practised here there was no wind and of course today I played and it's so windy. It wasn't fun, it was interesting."