Mon Jun 23 10:21:24 2008

Comment | Email | Print

Serena reaches second round at Wimbledon

---

Wimbledon, England (Sports Network) - Two-time champion Serena Williams was a first-round winner Monday at Wimbledon.

The sixth-seeded Williams opened her ninth stay here with a 7-5, 6-3 decision against Estonian Kaia Kanepi on a sunny day at the venerable All England Club. Williams fired seven aces, held her serve throughout, and tallied two breaks en route to the second round.

The former top-ranked Williams, a quarterfinal loser here at the hands of recently-retired Belgian star Justine Henin last year, captured Wimbledon back-to-back in 2002 and 2003 and was the 2004 runner-up to Russian Maria Sharapova.

Serena's older sister Venus, a four-time Wimbledon champion, is the reigning titlist here, having beaten France's Marion Bartoli in last year's finale.