Serena Williams brushed apart the problem of native teenager Lisa Pigato in the opening spherical of the WTA match in Parma on Monday.
Williams, ranked eighth in the world, beat the 572nd-ranked Pigato, making her WTA debut, 6-3, 6-2 in the primary assembly between the 2 gamers.
The 39-year-old American had been given a wild card to play in Parma after her untimely exit from the Italian Open, the place she crashed out in the second spherical in what was her first match in practically three months since her semi-final defeat in the Australian Open.
Williams, who had already gained 5 Grand Slam tournaments by the point Pigato was born, made a sluggish begin because the 17-year-old got here up with three wonderful winners to interrupt the 23-time Grand Slam champion in the primary recreation.
The American, nonetheless, bought into gear and dropped simply 5 extra factors on her serve, firing down six aces and lots of extra that Pigato might barely attain.
Williams, nonetheless, was filled with reward for her teenage opponent.
“Lisa performed very well,” she said in her on-court interview.
“She told me she was only 17. Her future is super-bright. She handled the moment well, so I look forward to cheering for her in the future.”
The Emilia-Romagna Open is an ideal clay warm-up forward of the French Open, which kicks off in Paris on May 30.
Williams wants yet another Grand Slam title to match Australian nice Margaret Court’s file of 24 main trophies.
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