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MIAMI - Three-times champion Venus Williams recovered from losing the first four games to beat Ukraine's Yuliana Fedak 7-5 6-2 in the Sony Ericsson Open first round today.
Williams, playing for the first time since winning in Memphis last month, produced 31 unforced errors in the first set before overwhelming her 88th-ranked opponent.
The American improved to 34-5 at the tournament which she won in 1998, 1999 and 2001.
Top seed Maria Sharapova will begin her campaign against 93rd-ranked Yung-Jan Chan of Taiwan who beat Nuria Llagostera Vives of Spain 6-2 6-3.
Sharapova, last year's runner-up at Crandon Park to fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, lost in the fourth round of the Pacific Life Open last week.
Chan's 84-minute victory came on a day when showers delayed play for more than four hours.
In other first-round matches, Dutch teenager Michaella Krajicek, beaten last week by Sharapova, advanced to face Czech eighth seed Nicole Vaidisova with a win over Georgian Anna Tatishvili 6-3 7-6.
Frenchwoman Emilie Loit put out last week's surprise package Sybille Bammer of Austria 2-6 6-3 6-1.
Austrian Bammer, the only mother in the world's top 50, beat former world number one Serena Williams in Hobart this year and lost in the Pacific Life semi-finals to Kuznetsova.
On the men's side, American Vince Spadea defeated compatriot Robby Ginepri 6-1 6-3 and Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean eliminated former French Open runner-up Martin Verkerk of the Netherlands 6-3 6-4.
American youngster Sam Querrey beat Russian Igor Andreev 5-7 6-2 6-4.
- REUTERS