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Winning return Serena back to winning ways at scene of Olympic success
Updated: Sunday January 07, 2001 11:26 PM
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Serena Williams says she and sister Venus can't go anywhere these days without being mobbed, particularly in places like Sydney where they've earned a reputation. Serena, the 1999 U.S. Open champion, partnered Venus to doubles titles at Wimbledon and at the Sydney Olympics last year. Venus, who also won the singles titles at the U.S. Open and at the Olympics, has just signed the richest endorsement deal in women's sports. Serena, the younger of the Williams sisters, started tuning up for her next Grand Slam campaign -- the January 15-28 Australian Open -- with a straight sets win Sunday at the Adidas International in Sydney. Returning to the court where she took Olympic gold last September, the fifth-seeded Serena opened with a 6-3, 7-6 (6) first-round win against compatriot Lilia Osterloh. "It was nice to be back on court where there are so many memories, no pressures. Only happy memories," the 19-year-old Williams said. "It was very nice." The Williams sisters will team again in the doubles this week in Sydney, although Venus isn't playing in the singles draw. Serena says she and Venus have taken tennis to new heights and deserved to be international celebrities. Fame comes at a price, says Serena, the social life suffers. But her tennis hasn't suffered. "It has its ups and downs. I'd rather have the attention than be the 100th (ranked) player who is not doing much and just making it." Australia's Nicole Pratt shrugged off jetlag after a rushed trip across from the Hopman Cup in Perth to also advance to the second round. Pratt started slowly but recovered to grab a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 win against Evie Dominikovic. In the only other first round match Sunday, American Corina Morariu progressed on a 6-2, 6-2 defeat of Italian Tathiana Garbin. The Adidas International is co-sanctioned by the ATP and the WTA. The women's draw contains world No. 1 Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Monica Seles, Serena Williams and Anna Kournikova. The women play for US$ 515,000. The top four seeds, Hingis, Davenport, Seles and Spaniard Conchita Martinez, were all granted byes through to the second round. In women's first-round matches Monday, No. 8 seed Jennifer Capriati will take on Tatiana Panova of Russia on center court. The bulk of the men's draw starts Monday, with Moroccan Younes El Aynaoui in action first up on center court against Gianluca Pozzi of Italy. In other men's matches on the showcourts, Sebastien Grosjean of France was scheduled to play Australian Richard Fromberg, while American Michael Chang set to take on Andrew Ilie. Men's top seed Magnus Norman of Sweden will meet Romanian Andrei Pavel in the first round, while No. 2 seed and defending titlist Lleyton Hewitt will open against Australian Davis Cup teammate Wayne Arthurs.
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