Miami Masters: Serena survives opening scare

Overcomes Shvedova in straight sets to progress to round three.

MIAMI: Six-time winner Serena Williams survived a first-set scare before overcoming Yaroslava Shvedova 7-6 (9/7), 6-2 Thursday to power into the third round of the ATP and WTA Miami Masters.

The top-seeded defending champion will next face France’s Caroline Garcia after dispatching her Kazak rival in one hour, 45 minutes.

“The first set was really tough,” said Serena. “She can make you play. She was hitting the ball well. I had to relax and try to keep my intensity and just try to get the win.”

Fourth seed Maria Sharapova, the 2013 runner-up to Serena, outlasted Japan’s Kurumi Nara 6-3, 6-4 in another testing opening match.

German Angelique Kerber, seeded fifth, beat China’s Peng Shuai 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7/5) while 2011 Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova, the number eight, defeated Argentine Paola Ormaechea 6-3, 6-4.

Ana Ivanovic, the 12th seed, hammered American Lauren Davis 6-1, 6-1 while 14th-seeded Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki ousted Nadia Petrova 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 and 16th-seeded Aussie Samantha Stosur beat Kiki Bertens 6-3, 6-2.

Hewitt takes 600th career victory, Tomic falls

Australian veteran Lleyton Hewitt captured his 600th career victory while countryman Bernard Tomic became the fastest loser in ATP history.

Former number one Hewitt rallied to defeat Dutchman Robin Haase 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the second round while Tomic fell in his first match since January hip surgery 6-0, 6-1 to Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen.

The 44th-ranked Australian reversed course in the second set to reach the second round in just under two hours, with Haase saving a match point before exiting.

“It’s not something you focus on, to tell you the truth,” Hewitt said of his 600th triumph. “I totally forgot. Today was just like another match and an opportunity to go out there and play well.”

Tomic, ranked 74th, crashed out in 28 minutes, 20 seconds, believed to be the ATP’s shortest match by a minute. Tomic was playing for the first time since a retirement against Rafael Nadal in a first-round match at the Australian Open.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Aisamul Haq Qureshi and his Indian partner Rohan Bopanna defeated Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli 6-3, 6-2 in their first round of the Miami Masters.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22^nd, 2014.

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