Sparkling Serena
Williams cruises at Gaz de France
Posted: Tuesday February 23, 1999 12:49 PM
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Williams will face No. 2 seed Nathalie Tauziat in the second round of the Gaz de France Open. Clive Brunskill/Allsport |
PARIS (AP) -- Serena Williams was in sparkling form at the $520,000 Gaz de France tennis open Tuesday, crushing Sweden's Asa Carlsson 6-1, 6-2, in just 62 minutes.
The 17-year-old, playing at the Gaz de France event for the first time, was in total control from the start, smashing two powerful backhands past the Swedish qualifier in the opening game to break serve.
With world no. 1 Martina Hingis watching, the unseeded Williams continued to dominate, setting up a second round match against No. 2 seed Nathalie Tauziat of France.
"The match against Tauziat will be much tougher," Williams said after the match.
In another first round contest, wildcard Amelie Cocheteux surprised Israel's Anna Smashnova, 6-3, 6-3.
The 20-year-old French player had lost each of her four previous meetings with Smashnova, and is 26 places lower in the rankings, but always looked in command, taking the match in one hour, 35 minutes.
Cocheteux will face No. 4 seed Irina Spirlea in the second round.
Anne-Gaelle Sidot, another French player, beat Belgium's Laurence Courtois, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 to earn a place in the next round.
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