{"id":3148,"date":"2013-05-05T18:26:52","date_gmt":"2013-05-05T18:26:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disnaija.com\/nigeria-news\/serena-avoids-upset-li-na-wozniacki-crash\/"},"modified":"2013-05-05T18:26:52","modified_gmt":"2013-05-05T18:26:52","slug":"serena-avoids-upset-li-na-wozniacki-crash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disnaija.com\/serena-avoids-upset-li-na-wozniacki-crash\/","title":{"rendered":"Serena avoids upset, Li Na, Wozniacki crash"},"content":{"rendered":"
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World number one Serena Williams got her Madrid Open title defence off to a battling start Sunday, beating Kazakh qualifier Yulia Putintseva 7-6 (7\/5), 6-1 but China’s Li Na fell at the first hurdle.<\/p>\n

Putintseva had come through two rounds of qualifying and seemed to handle the warm conditions better early on in an extremely tight first set.<\/p>\n

Both women broke each other once and Putintseva managed to save another three break points to force the set into a tie-break.<\/p>\n

\"Serena <\/p>\n

Serena Williams<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

However, the world number 88 finally crumbled at 5-4 in the tie-break as she fired long and Williams served out the set before taking control in the second, breaking four times to close out the match.<\/p>\n

“I felt a little sluggish at the beginning, but happily I was able to win,” said the 15-time Grand Slam winner. I know I will need to play better as each match goes on.”<\/p>\n

Williams believes the warm conditions in the Spanish capital should be to her advantage as the tournament progresses.<\/p>\n

“I have been training in Europe for a little more than a week, but long enough. I trained in Paris for a few days and then I came here.<\/p>\n

“I think these clay courts are really good, they are a little bit quick which is really good for me and it’s also a lot warmer here so overall its really good.”<\/p>\n

China’s world number five Li Na, the 2011 French Open champion, was the biggest name to fall when she was taken apart by American Madison Keys 6-3, 6-2.<\/p>\n

Keys had only got into the tournament as a lucky loser thanks to the withdrawal of Tamira Paszek after being beaten by compatriot Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the qualifiers.<\/p>\n

But she dominated from the off with her heavy groundstrokes producing a series of errors from the Chinese.<\/p>\n

World number 10 Caroline Wozniacki was the other major name to be eliminated as the former world number one was beaten in straight sets by Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan, 6-2, 6-4.<\/p>\n

Venus Williams was forced to pull out of the tournament with a back injury.<\/p>\n

The world number 21 had been due to open play on the main showcourt against Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues.<\/p>\n

“I was desperate to play in the Madrid Open this year, but unfortunately due to the pain in my back I cannot compete,” she said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Eighth seed Petra Kvitova was forced to go the distance against Yanina Wickmayer.<\/p>\n

The world number 36 took the first set 6-4, but former Wimbledon champion Kvitova bounced back to take the next two sets 7-5, 6-4.<\/p>\n

Sixth seed Angelique Kerber also took three sets to beat Su-Wei Hsieh 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 and 16th seed Ana Ivanovic came from a set down too as she overcame Mattek-Sands 6-7 (10\/12), 6-3, 6-2.<\/p>\n

Agnieszka Radwanska, the fourth seed, had a comfortable afternoon as she saw off Tsvetana Pironkova 6-2, 6-4 to set up a meeting with Britain’s Laura Robson and Marion Bartoli is also safely through after her opponent Elena Vesnina retired with the score 6-3, 3-0 in the Frenchwoman’s favour.<\/p>\n

In the men’s tournament,16th seed Gilles Simon stayed on course for a potential third round meeting with Andy Murray as he came from a set down to beat compatriot Julien Benneteau 2-6, 7-5, 6-3.<\/p>\n

And home favourite Fernando Verdasco set-up a second round meeting with Milos Raonic or Nikolay Davydenko as he overcame Belgian David Goffin 7-6 (7\/2), 6-2.<\/p>\n

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