Serena Wins Chunk-fest Against Pin at Oz Open

Out-of-condition No. 13 seed Serena Williams got just what she needed Wednesday at the Australian Open -- an opponent with a gut, no weapons and no speed in Camille Pin, overcoming an early break of serve and some erratic play to steamroll the Frenchwoman earlier today in Melbourne, moving into the third round of play with a 6-3, 6-1 win.

"Everyone's a threat. But I'm real serious and I'm here to be a threat as well," said Serena, who next faces former Top 5er Daniela Hantuchova. "Only thing I want to do better is just keep moving the ball around. Other than that, I would just like to keep improving on everything."

Top-seeded Lindsay Davenport fought off a stern test from Karolina Sprem 7-6(4), 6-3 to lead the seeds into the third round Wednesday, joined by (4) Maria Sharapova (d. Harkleroad), (6) Nadia Petrova (d. Muller), (8) Justine Henin-Hardenne (d. Sromova), (14) Svetlana Kuznetsova (d. Parra Santonja in three), and (17) Daniela Hantuchova (d. (WC) Amanmuradova).

"I wasn't feeling that great on the court," said Henin-Hardenne who won her first set in a tiebreak. "Not very comfortable. I didn't know her at all and it took me almost a set to get used to her game. There was no rhythm in the match. I was doing the mistakes and the winners. That's not the kind of game I like. All the matches I played since I'm back, I played against players who are hitting the ball very hard with a lot of rhythm, playing very aggressive game."

Two lower seeds were ousted on the day in Spain's Virginia Ruano Pascual edging (18) Elena Likhovtseva 6-4, 6-4, and Ukraine qualifier Olga Savchuk shocking (23) Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 6-4.

Unseeded players into the third round Wednesday were Russians Elena Vesnina (d. Schruff, bagel in the first) and Maria Kirilenko (d. countrywoman Voskoboeva), Italians Mara Santangelo (d. Srebotnik in three) and Maria Elena Camerin (d. Bychkova from a set down), Croatian Jelena Kostanic (d. Ondraskova), France's Virginie Razzano (d. Martinez Granados), and American Laura Granville (d. the Venus-killer Pironkova).

On tap for Thursday in Melbourne are (21) Ivanovic vs. the Aussie Stosur, (2) Clijsters vs. M.Yuan, (3) Mauresmo vs. Loit in an all-French, Hingis vs. Laine, (5) Pierce vs. Benesova, (7) Schnyder vs. Asagoe, (32) Mirza vs. Krajicek, (12) Myskina vs. Jackson, (31) Dulko vs. Nakamura, (22) Groenefeld vs. Sanchez Lorenzo, (15) Schiavone vs. Castano, (20) Pennetta vs. Sucha, Bammer vs. Z.Yan, (19) Safina vs. Arvidsson, (27) Bartoli vs. Vinci, and (16) Vaidisova vs. Chakvetadze.