Serena wins WTA clay opener

World No. 1 Serena Williams served nine aces during her win in her first match this season on clay on Tuesday, beating Italy's Camila Giorgi 6-2, 6-3 at the $795,000 WTA Family Circle Cup. Williams did not commit a double fault but took full advantage of 12 by her 85th-ranked rival to win after 82 minutes in her first match since capturing the WTA Miami crown last Saturday by beating Maria Sharapova in the final. Next in the path of Williams, who was among eight top seeds to receive a first-round bye, is a third-round match against either Germany's 15th-seeded Sabine Lisicki or US qualifier Mallory Burdette. Others reaching the third round included Swiss Stefanie Voegele, who ousted Spanish seventh seed Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-4, and Romanian 11th seed Sorana Cirstea, who defeated Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues in a walkover. Among first-round winners were Britain's Laura Robson, who despatched Spain's Estrella Cabeza Candela 6-2, 6-2, and New Zealand's Marina Erakovic, who eliminated Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova 7-6 (7/2), 6-4. From: AFP