World number one Serena Williams overcame late resistance from 148th-ranked Amra Sadikovic, winning 6-2 6-4 in the first round of the Wimbledon Championships.
Making her return after retiring from tennis two years ago, Sadikovic turned out to be tougher than expected for the top-seeded Williams, who committed five doubles faults and could only manage to score four aces throughout the encounter that lasted one hour and 13 minutes.
The American powerhouse raced through the opening set, breaking her opponent twice to take an early lead. The second set turned out to be a closer affair with the duo breaking each other’s service once each before Williams converted yet another opportunity to cruise for a straight-set victory.
“It wasn’t tougher than I thought but it was definitely tough I never underestimate anyone; I started fast, and that’s about it,” Williams told BBC after a bumpy win that saw her commit 18 unforced errors.
Up next, Williams is scheduled to square-off against countrywoman Christina McHale.
