LEXINGTON (Kentucky): Serena Williams made a winning return to competitive tennis on Tuesday as she rallied from a set down to beat Bernarda Pera 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 at the Top Seed Open in Lexington, Kentucky on Tuesday in her first match of the Covid-19 era.

Serena was five points from falling to the American left-hander in the second set but suddenly showcased her fighting spirit and pulled away to set up a second-round showdown with older sister Venus, a 6-3 6-2 winner over Victoria Azarenka.

“It’s good just in general because I haven’t played. A lot of players have been playing — little things and little matches and playing against other players — but I’ve only been training so this was really good for me,” said Serena, who is gearing up for the August 31-September 13 US Open.

The Top Seed Open, the first WTA Tour tournament in the US since the Covid-19 outbreak halted play, provided a taste of what is to come for the 38-year-old American as she bids for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title in New York, with empty, silent stands taking the place of roaring crowds.

“Ive been through so many things in my career so this was totally different,” said Serena. “Being in New York will be a little different because theres this massive stadium.” Venus, who fell in the first round at the Australian Open, Acapulco, and Monterrey earlier this year, cruised through her clash of former world number ones as she turned aside the one break point she faced during an 80-minute win over Azarenka.

Up-and-coming Coco Gauff, 16, moved on to the next round by beating Caroline Dolehide, 7-5, 7-5.

Seventh-seeded Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open champion, lost to Canadian qualifier Leylah Fernandez, 6-3, 6-3.

In other matches fifth-seeded Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan cruised past Australian Ajla Tomljanovic, 6-0, 6-4. Switzerland’s Jill Teichmann ousted Russian qualifier Anna Kalinskaya, 6-2, 7-5. And Anna Blinkova of Russia topped American Kristie Ahn 6-2, 4-6, 3-1 (retired).

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2020