Grand Slam queens advance into third round
By DPA, IANSThursday, June 25, 2009
LONDON - Two reigning Grand Slam champions bolted into the third round at Wimbledon Thursday, with Roland Garros winner Svetlana Kuznetsova leading the way for Venus Williams.
Fifth seed Kuznetsova tuned up on grass after losing in her only warm-up match last week, earning a win over France’s Pauline Parmentier 6-1, 6-3.
Five-time All England Club queen Williams, the third seed, was equally ruthless with Kateryna Bondarenko 6-3, 6-2.
Kuznetsova fired a dozen winners in the first set alone as she targets the second week of the major where she has never surpassed the quarter-finals.
The Russian will next play German Sabine Lisicki, who defeated Austrian Patricia Mayr 6-2, 6-4.
“I think I played great today, I was happy with my performance,” said Kuznetsova. “I was pretty excited to be out there and I think I played that way right from the start.
“It was not an easy match. She’s been serving well, I surprised myself.”
Williams spent 69 minutes in advancing with six aces and four breaks of the Bondarenko serve as she played for the 13th time at the Championships.
