LEXINGTON, Ky. — Serena Williams was calm in a return more dramatic than some might have expected even after a long layoff.
Williams needed to rally to win in her comeback following a six-month layoff, beating unseeded American Bernarda Pera 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in Tuesday's first round of the Top Seed Open.
Williams advanced to a second-round showdown against older sister Venus, who dispatched Victoria Azarenka 6-3, 6-2. The two will meet for the 31st time in a match that figures to be emotionally and physically challenging for both of them.
Serena first had to clear some athletic hurdles against Pera.