Serena Williams, anchor of Washington, DC's Kastles of World Team Tennis, dispatched her first round 2012 Australian Open opponent, Tamira Paszek, 3 and 2.
The 30 year old Williams is currently ranked number 12 in the world. In her career she has been ranked number one in both singles and doubles. She has earned more than $34 million in prize money in tennis and continues to be a crowd pleaser and is a special favorite of Wahsington, DC fans of the Washington Kastles.
Williams has won 13 Grand Slam events, including five Australian Opens. She has won all four Grand Slams at least once.
In other first round action, Australian favorite and winner of last year’s U.S. Open title Samantha Stosur was upset by Sorana Cirstea of Romania, 7-6, 6-3. Stosur defeated Williams in the U.S. Open final in September 2011.
On the men's side, it looked dicey for Andy Murray (GBR) in the first set of his first round match at the 2012 Australian Open in Melbourne. The 20 year old American Ryan Harrison blasted forehands and backhand winners from all corners of the court. Before the Brit from Scotland knew what hit him, he had lost the set 4-6.
Murray regrouped and began to play more aggressive tennis, while his young opponent’s game went down a notch. Murray won the next three sets, 3, 4, and 2.
American Andy Roddick got by his first round opponent, Robin Haase of the Netherlands, in three sets, 3, 4, and 1.
Former world number one, Australian Lleyton Hewitt, needed four sets to get by his German opponent, Cedrik-Marcel Stebe, 7-5, 6-4,3-6,7-5.
Other first round winners on the men’s side included Novak Djokovic, David Ferrer, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. On the women’s side first round winners included Maria Sharapova, and two Americans, Sloane Stephens and Vania King.
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