By: James Waterson
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Photo Credit: Tony Chang
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(January 2, 2012) Serena Williams won her first match since the US Open when she beat South Africa’s Chanelle Scheepers 6-2, 6-3 in the first round of the Brisbane International Monday.
Williams, the 2009 Australian Open champion, dominated throughout the match. She hit seven aces and won 66 percent of her service points, while she also claimed 51 percent of her returning points. Scheepers, the World No. 38, was let down by her serve as she hit eight double faults to one ace.
The American moves on to face Serbia’s Bojana Jovanovski, who dismissed Australian wildcard Casey Dellacqua 6-4, 6-2 on Sunday.
Top-seeded US Open champion Samantha Stosur started her 2012 season well with a convincing 6-2, 6-3 win against Anastasia Yakimova of Belarus. The big-serving Stosur won 69 percent of her service points, saved five of her opponent’s six break point opportunities, and broke Yakimova four times.
Stosur will face 54th-ranked Iveta Benesova, who she has a 4-0 record against, in the second round. If she wins that match, she could face defending Australian Open champion Kim Clijsters in the quarterfinal.