PHOTOS: Serena advances in Toronto, Wawrinka ousted

IMAGE: Serena Williams, in solely her second singles match since returning to motion at Wimbledon in June after a year-long absence from competitors, was compelled to dig deep throughout a virtually two-hour match performed in scorching and humid circumstances. {Photograph}: Vaughn Ridley/Getty Photographs

Three-times winner Serena Williams moved into the Toronto Open second spherical with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Spain’s Nuria Parrizas Diaz on Monday whereas Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and Simona Halep additionally superior.

Williams, in solely her second singles match since returning to motion at Wimbledon in June after a year-long absence from competitors, was compelled to dig deep throughout a virtually two-hour match performed in scorching and humid circumstances.

“Mentally I really feel I am getting there. I am not the place I usually am and I am not the place I need to be,” Williams advised reporters.

“Bodily I really feel a lot better in apply, it is identical to getting that to the court docket. However actually I am the form of one who it simply takes one or two issues after which it clicks. So I am simply ready on that to click on.”

Certainly one of 14 main winners in the primary draw of an occasion that could be a tune-up for the US Open, Williams clinched the opener on her fourth set level with a classic smash that Parrizas Diaz had no likelihood of returning.

The second set was a a lot tighter affair and Williams did effectively to carry serve in a bodily demanding 18-minute sport throughout which she fought off 4 break factors to get to 4-4 earlier than sealing her first singles win for the reason that 2021 French Open.

“It is only one win, you recognize, it takes quite a bit. However I used to be comfortable, like I stated, to have a win,” stated Williams. “It has been a really very long time. I forgot what it felt like.”

Up subsequent for Williams will likely be both Olympic champion Belinda Bencic, the twelfth seed, or Czech Tereza Martincova.

IMAGE: Simona Halep, who retired from her second-round match final week in Washington as a consequence of sickness, wanted simply 61 minutes to beat Croatia’s Donna Vekic. {Photograph}: Vaughn Ridley/Getty Photographs

Romanian fifteenth seed Halep, who retired from her second-round match final week in Washington as a consequence of sickness, wanted simply 61 minutes to safe a 6-0, 6-2 win over Croatia’s Donna Vekic.

The twice Canadian Open champion breezed by way of the primary set in 21 minutes and by no means regarded again as Vekic grew extra annoyed because the match wore on.

“It isn’t in regards to the consequence it is extra about how I performed,” Halep, who didn’t face a break level, stated throughout her on-court interview. “I have been very aggressive and I performed quick in order that’s my objective and I’m attempting to do this day-after-day.”

Kazakh Rybakina, who adopted her Wimbledon triumph with a first-round exit at San Jose final week, beat Czech Marie Bouzkova 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-1 for her first win as a Grand Slam champion.

Czech 14th seed Karolina Pliskova and Latvian sixteenth seed Jelena Ostapenko additionally superior whereas Sloane Stephens was main Sofia Kenin 6-2, 6-7(5), 1-0 on centre court docket when play was suspended as a consequence of rain.

Canadian thirteenth seed Leylah Fernandez will kick off the evening session in Toronto in opposition to Australian Storm Sanders earlier than Venus Williams meets Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann.

Wawrinka and loads of rain fall at Canadian Open

IMAGE: Stan Wawrinka, 37, missed the clay, grass and hardcourt season final 12 months following surgical procedure on his left foot and since returning in March has suffered a slew of first spherical exits. {Photograph}: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Photographs

Stan Wawrinka’s makes an attempt to get his comeback season off the bottom took one other hit on Monday because the three-time main champion fell 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to Emil Ruusuvuori within the rain-delayed opening spherical of the Canadian Open in Montreal.

Wawrinka, 37, missed the clay, grass and hardcourt season final 12 months following surgical procedure on his left foot and since returning in March has suffered a slew of first spherical exits.

The Swiss former world quantity three performed strong tennis however was unable to beat laborious court docket specialist Ruusuvuori, who smashed a forehand winner on match level to advance.

Subsequent up for the Ruusuvuori is a second spherical conflict with Hubert Hurkacz, who the Finn defeated in Washington final week for the most important win of his profession.

Karen Khachanov got here out on the profitable aspect in a sloppy three-set match in opposition to Francisco Cerundolo, the place the gamers made a mixed 110 unforced errors in comparison with simply 45 winners.

The Russian has performed effectively on the match previously, reaching the semi-finals in 2018 and 2019.

In different first spherical motion, 21-year-old American Jenson Brooksby made fast work of Alexander Bublik with a 6-2, 6-3 win and Slovak Alex Molcan outlasted Mackenzie McDonald 7-6(1), 6-4.

Heavy rain delayed the beginning of the Masters 1000 match for hours and compelled the postponement of Andy Murray’s extremely anticipated first spherical match in opposition to Taylor Fritz to Tuesday.