American Serena Williams signed her first victory of the year, six weeks after her missed return to Wimbledon, beating Nuria Parrizas-Diaz (N.57) in straight sets (6-3, 6-4) in the first round of the WTA 1000 hard court tournament in Toronto on Monday.
Posted at 3:18 p.m.
Beaten by the French Harmony Tan on June 28 on the London lawn, the ex-N. 1 world suffered against the Spaniard, but found resources to win in a complicated match, in nearly two hours (1 h 57 min).
She thus won her first victory since June 4, 2021 and her 3e victorious round at Roland-Garros 2021, signing her first success in 2022, she who, before Wimbledon, had not appeared on the circuit for a year.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion won the opening round in style. Less swift, but relying on a fast serve like in her days of glory, Williams took her opponent’s face-off at 4-3 before serving to win the set which she finished with authority.
Carried by an enamored audience, Williams unleashed spectacular shots to save a break point at 2-1 against her, attracting yet another ovation from the public after an incredible exchange, during which the two players went to blow for once.
What followed was a bitter fight, neither of the two protagonists wanting to let go of their service, with however a slight ascendancy of the Spaniard over her illustrious adversary.
Each time the latter seemed to waver on the well-felt returns of Parrizas-Diaz, the Floridian found a decisive blow to ward off the danger, as in this 8e endless game of the second set. The ex-N. 1 in the world now down to the 407e world place, pushed to its limits, had to save several break points to finally convert its service (9 draws).
It was the turning point of the game, because in the process, she broke again to open her way to victory on her own face-off, to the great satisfaction of the Toronto public.
In the next round, she will face the winner of the Belinda Bencic-Tereza Matincova match scheduled for the end of the evening in Toronto.