Australian Open: Serena Williams can only beat herself (up) at the moment

Published on 18/01/2013 01:23

THE biggest obstacle to Serena Williams’ progress at this year’s Australian Open has, so far, been herself.

The American, seeking a sixth title in Melbourne, went into her second-round clash with Spanish teenager Garbine Muguruza nursing a twisted right ankle, suffered in a heavy fall during her whitewash of Edina Gallovits-Hall on Tuesday.

Although 19-year-old Muguruza did not have the weapons to really test Williams’ movement today, the third seed managed do herself further damage, hitting herself in the face with her racket midway through the first set. It was hard to tell whether the constant dabbing of her mouth was caused by pain or embarrassment, but it mattered little as Williams came through 6-2, 6-0. “I bust my lip wide open,” she explained. “One day I twist my ankle, today I hit myself in the face – I don’t know what’s going to happen on Saturday.”

Williams, who plays Ayumi Morita next, followed top seed Victoria Azarenka on to Rod Laver Arena. The Belarusian had taken just 55 minutes to see off Eleni Daniilidou 6-1, 6-0.

Caroline Wozniacki moved quietly into round three with a 6-1, 6-4 defeat of 16-year-old Donna Vekic. The Croat has been tipped as a star of the future in the women’s game, but she was too wild to trouble the Dane. At the other end of the age spectrum, Kimiko Date-Krumm showed no sign of slowing down, the 42-year-old moving through with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Shahar Peer. Date-Krumm’s win over Nadia Petrova on Tuesday made her the oldest woman to ever win a singles match in the tournament’s history and she again impressed despite the brutally hot conditions.