AMELIA ISLAND, Florida - Former world tennis No 1 Venus Williams became the first woman into the Amelia Island championship third round when she hammered Slovakian Martina Sucha 6-0 6-1 today.
The fifth-seeded Williams, who beat her sister Serena on the way to the semifinals in Miami last week, looked full of confidence as she romped to victory in her first match at Amelia Island since winning the title in 2002.
Williams blasted 20 winners to set up a meeting with Polish qualifier Marta Domachowska or Virginia Ruano Pascual, of Spain.
Ruano Pascual, the world's No 1 doubles player, caused the biggest upset of the tournament when she ousted 10th seed Karolina Sprem, of Croatia, 4-6 6-3 6-4 in the first round.
Bulgarian Magdalena Maleeva cruised past German Anna-Lena Groenefeld 6-3 6-3, while rising Chinese player Peng Shuai also advanced when American Meghann Shaughnessy retired with a back problem trailing 6-3 2-0.
Ninth seed Elena Likhovtseva, of Russia, recovered to beat Israeli Anna Smashnova 5-7 6-1 6-2, and Silvia Farina Elia, the Italian 12th seed, beat her compatriot Tathiana Garbin 6-4 6-2 to reach round two.
- REUTERS
Tennis: Venus powers through in Florida
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