Tennis: Williams sisters advance

CHARLESTON: Serena and Venus Williams made a successful transition to clay on Tuesday, easing through their opening matches with straight-set victories at the WTA Tour’s Charleston tournament. Fifth-seed Serena, the 2008 Charleston champion, hammered 11 aces in overpowering last year’s runner-up Elena Vesnina, 6-3, 6-4, in the second-round. “I really love clay,” said Serena. “I feel like it suits my game.” Meanwhile, seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus, who returned to the tour last month in Miami after being out for seven months due to illness, needed just 79 minutes to dispatch qualifier Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-3 in the first round.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2012.