Williams sisters on winning streak
Published:Tuesday | January 20, 2009 | 5:16 PM
The Williams sisters, Serena and Venus made impressive starts to their Australian Open campaigns with straight-sets wins today.
Second seed and three-time champion Serena thrashed Meng Yuan of China 6-3, 6-1, before sixth seed Venus saw off Germany’s Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-3.
Fourth seed Elena Dementieva struggled for consistency but eventually rallied to beat Germany’s Kristina Barrois 7-6, 2-6, 6-1.
And 2006 champion Amelie Mauresmo beat Olga Govortsova 6-4, 6-4.
In the men’s draw, top-ranked Rafael Nadal put together a dominating performance, routing Belgium’s Christophe Rochus 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 in the first round at the Australian Open.
Other men’s winners were Number 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who beat Argentina’s Juan Monaco, Number 6 Gilles Simmon, who got by Spain’s Pablo Andujar and fellow Frenchman Richard Gasquet, who ousted Diego Junqueira.