adminWorld number one Williams came into her title defence opener at the centre of a storm for her controversial comments on a US high school rape case and for her dig at Sharapova’s romance with her own ex-boyfriend, Bulgarian player Grigor Dimitrov.
The 31-year-old took out her frustrations on the hapless Minella, the world number 92 who has never defeated a top-30 player, let alone one of the calibre of Williams, whose French Open title three weeks ago took her majors haul to 16.
Victory was also her 75th in her last 78 matches, a run that stretches back to her shock first round departure at Roland Garros in 2012, the worst Grand Slam exit of her career.
Yesterday’s 32nd successive win took her to within just three of the record set by older sister Venus in 2000.
“I never think about the run, I just treat every match like a new one,” said Williams after her 57-minute win.
“It was special coming out as defending champion.
“I played great and I have some great memories.”
Williams did not concede a single point on her serve in the first set but Minella, playing in only her eighth Grand Slam compared to the American’s 52nd, at least had the consolation of breaking her opponent’s serve for a 2-0 lead in the second set.
But she couldn’t capitalise on that slim opening and Williams roared back, finishing the match with 25 winners to Minella’s five.
Williams goes on to face French qualifier Caroline Garcia, who she beat in the second round in Paris, for a place in the last 32.
Selected results from the second day of Wimbledon (x denotes seeded player)
Men’s singles first round
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt Blaz Kavcic (SLO) 6-4, 6-1, 6-3
James Blake (USA) bt Thiemo de Bakker (NED) 6-1, 6-3, 6-2
Kevin Anderson (RSA x27) bt Olivier Rochus (BEL) 6-4, 6-2, 6-1
Michal Przysiezny (POL) bt Philipp Petzschner (GER) 6-3, 7-6 (8/6), 6-0
Denis Kudla (USA) bt James Duckworth (AUS) 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 6-1
Kei Nishikori (JPN x12) bt Matthew Ebden (AUS) 6-2, 6-4, 6-3
Leonardo Mayer (ARG) bt Aljaz Bedene (SLO) 6-2, 6-3, 6-4
Women’s singles first round
Serena Williams (USA x1) bt Mandy Minella (LUX) 6-1, 6-3
Caroline Garcia (FRA) bt Zheng Jie (CHN) 6-3, 6-4
Kimiko Date Krumm (JPN) bt Carina Witthoeft (GER) 6-0, 6-2
Olga Puchkova (RUS) bt Arantxa Rus (NED) 6-4, 6-2
Samantha Stosur (AUS x14) bt Anna Karolna Schmiedlov (SVK) 6-1, 6-3
Madison Keys (USA) bt Heather Watson (GBR) 6-3, 7-5
Mona Barthel (GER x30) bt Monica Niculescu (ROM) 6-3, 4-6, 7-5
Li Na (CHN x6) bt Michalla Krajicek (NED) 6-1, 6-1
Meanwhile, top seed Novak Djokovic cruised into the Wimbledon second round yesterday as the All England Club recovered from the shockwaves of Rafael Nadal’s exit 24 hours earlier.
World number one Djokovic, the 2011 champion, beat Germany’s Florian Mayer 6-3, 7-5, 6-4, in the Serb’s first grass-court outing of the season and his first match since his shattering five-set semi-final loss to Nadal at the French Open.
“It was a big pleasure to play in front of a packed Centre Court against a tricky rival like Mayer. He’s got a great variety of shots and his game is well-suited to grass,” said Djokovic, who next faces either Bobby Reynolds or Steve Johnson. Defending champion Williams, chasing a sixth Wimbledon title and 17th major, racked-up her 32nd successive win, cruising to a 6-1, 6-3 win over Luxembourg’s Mandy Minella. — AFP.
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