Serena Struggles While Mauresmo Cruises at WTA Toronto

Posted on August 17, 2005

No. 2 seed <a href='http://www.tennis-x.com/playernews/Amelie-Mauresmo.php' id=namelink>Amelie Mauresmo</a> made a successful comeback after a self-imposed five-week absence, winning her opener Tuesday at the WTA stop in Toronto with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Madagascar's Dally Randriantefy.

No. 2 seed Amelie Mauresmo made a successful comeback after a self-imposed five-week absence, winning her opener Tuesday at the WTA stop in Toronto with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Madagascar's Dally Randriantefy.

"I need a little time to really get my rhythm back," Mauresmo said. "I have a few adjustments to make in my game. A few things worked pretty well today. I'm thinking about the serve especially. other things, I'm still looking for, including the right timing on the court."

Other seeded winners on the day were burnt-out Russian (3) Svetlana Kuznetsova (d. Medina Garrigues), (5) Serena Williams (d. Cohen-Aloro from a set down), (10) Nathalie Dechy (d. Zuluaga), (12) Ana Ivanovic (d. (Q) Garbin), (14) Flavia Pennetta (d. (Q) Sanchez Lorenzo), and (15) Dinara Safina (d. Llagostera Vives).

Serena says tending to her injured ankle has also caused some problems with her knee.

"Ankle's good, but I'm just dealing with some issues with my knee because of my ankle," Serena said. "Since it went bad, my ankle, my knee got a little weak. Well, weaker than it has been in the past...I was so angry (during the match), I just wanted to crack every racket. But I didn't do it. That's a plus...I wasn't even moving to any balls. I have tomorrow off so maybe that can help but I'll have to see what my therapist says."

The Asian contingent again comes on strong this week with winners Na Li of China (d. (11) Jankovic in three), Chinese qualifier Jie Zheng (d. (Q) Salerni), and Japanese qualifier Rika Fujiwara (d. (Q) Camerin, bagel in the first).

Other unseeded winners Tuesday were Russian Alina Jidkova (d. (13) Hantuchova, who retired at 4-4 in the third with heat exhaustion), Bulgarian Sesil Karatantcheva (d. Craybas in three), Czech Nicole Vaidisova (d. Chakvetadze), Spain's Conchita Martinez (d. Groenefeld in three), France's Virginie Razzano (d. (LL) Ruano Pascual in three), Italian lucky loser Antonella Serra Zanetti (d. (WC) Dubois), and Argentine qualifier Mariana Diaz-Oliva (d. Linetskaya who retired with injury).

San Diego champion Mary Pierce pulled from the event Tuesday, with her thigh injury forcing the Frenchwoman to miss her second consecutive event, replaced in the draw by lucky loser Hana Sromova.

On court Wednesday in Toronto are Petrova vs. Karatantcheva, Diaz-Oliva vs. Henin-Hardenne, Granville vs. Myskina, Razzano vs. Clijsters, Safina vs. Martinez, Dulko vs. Golovin, An.Serra Zanetti vs. Pennetta, Vaidisova vs. Dechy, Sugiyama vs. Zheng, Jidkova vs. Asagoe, Ivanovic vs. Bartoli, Sromova vs. Fujiwara, and Vento-Kabchi vs. Li.