Serena easily advances in Paris

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PARIS -- Top-ranked American Serena Williams defeated Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-4 on Wednesday to move into the second round of the Open GDF Suez.

Williams was ill after winning the Australian Open and wasn't able to practise until Monday.

"I was in bed. I was really sick until I came here," Williams said. "It was like a week. I couldn't do anything."

Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, Elena Dementieva of Russia, Patty Schnyder of Switzerland and Amelie Mauresmo of France also advanced at the indoor hard court tournament.

Williams saved two break points on her first service game before winning six straight games to take the first set on an unforced error from Benesova. She will face Croatian qualifier Karolina Sprem.

"I wasn't great. I was so glad to win," Williams said. "As the tournament goes on, I'll do a little better."

Williams, who recently bought an apartment in Paris, playfully answered some questions in French.

"I feel so-so. I'm tired right now. I'd like to sleep," she said in French.

Jankovic defeated Francesca Schiavone of Italy 7-5, 7-6 (2), winning the first set on a double-fault before saving a set point at 5-4 to force a tiebreaker.

"It's a relief to finish in two sets," the third-ranked Serb said. "After the first set and 3-0, I really lost my energy and my game went down.

"I let my opponent come back into the match. Until then, I was completely in control."

Schnyder beat Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine 6-4, 7-6 (3) while Mauresmo avenged her Fed Cup loss last weekend to Sara Errani by routing the Italian 6-2, 6-0. Dementieva ousted Aravane Rezai of France 6-4, 6-3.

"I had some problems with my serve," said Dementieva, whose landed only 47 per cent of her first serves in the first set. "It didn't work well today, especially in the first set.

"She put a lot of pressure on my second serve."

French qualifier Emilie Loit outlasted Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 2-6, 6-3, 6-1, becoming the first to move into the quarter-finals.

In the second round, Jankovic will face Li Na of China and Schnyder will meet French wild card Nathalie Dechy.