Serena, Venus Set Up Monday Showdown At Indian Wells; Keys Can’t Solve Collins

Serena and Venus Williams will meet again Monday at Indian Wells in the third round. The two who boycotted the event for many years after a 2001 incident at the event.

Venus cruised past Sorona Cirstea 6-3, 6-4 but Serena had to figth hard to beat Kiki Bertens. The Dutchwoman was the better player early and served for the opening set at 5-4, but couldn’t close falling in the end 7-6(5), 7-5.

“I’m getting there. I have a long way to go. I have such a long way to go,” said Serena who is playing her first WTA event since the 2017 Australian Open.

“It definitely felt better than the first round, but I’m still a little rusty. I’m still making errors that I don’t normally make. I call this a trial run, of traveling with the baby and all of this is just so new to me.”

On Monday, Serena and Venus will meet for the 29th time.

“Obviously I wish it was anybody else in the draw, literally anybody, but that’s okay,” Serena said. “Just have to go out there and see how I am and do my best.”

Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki kept on her roll beating Lara Arruabarrena 6-4, 6-1. Elina Svitolina and Carlone Garcia Advanced, and defending champion Elena Vesnina opened her title defense with a win over American CiCi Bellis.

But American Madison Keys was stunned by countrywoman Danielle Collins who earned her biggest career win with a 6-3, 7-6(1) victory. Since reaching the US Open final last year, Keys has gone just 5-6 and last lost 3 of her last 4.

“I’ve had a couple solid weeks playing good tennis and I knew I had a chance today if I competed my hardest and put everything out there,” said Collins. Collins will now face teen prodigy Sofya Zhuk.

On Sunday, the third round gets underway with Simona Halep, Karolina Pliskova, Jelena Ostapenko and two key matches heldover from yesterday because of the rain with Angelique Kerber down a set to Ekatarina Makarova and Sloane Stephens and Victoria Azarenka affair.

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