BRISBANE, Australia (AP) ― Serena Williams had her service broken in the opening game before coming back to beat Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa 6-2, 6-3 on Monday at the Brisbane International, her first match since losing the U.S. Open final in September.
Williams needed 68 minutes to advance, firing seven aces and taking advantage of eight double-faults by Scheepers.
In other matches, former No. 1-ranked Ana Ivanovic beat Tamira Paszek of Austria 6-3, 6-3 and American Vania King beat Melinda Czink of Hungary 6-3, 6-4.
Hopman Cup
Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and teammate Tomas Berdych won their singles matches Monday to give Czech Republic a 2-0 win over Bulgaria at the Hopman Cup.
Kvitova won the last five games of her match to beat Tsvetana Pironkova 6-4, 6-2 before seventh-ranked Berdych defeated Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-7 (8), 6-3.
On Monday night, the United States, represented by Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Mardy Fish, takes on a Denmark team comprising women’s No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki and Frederik Nielsen.
No. 2-ranked Kvitova won five other tournaments in 2011.
