A win in the first round of a WTA 1000 tournament would have been anecdotal for her a while ago. But this time, Serena Williams will particularly savor her success. The American signed her first victory of the year, beating Nuria Parrizas-Diaz (57th in the world) in two sets (6-3, 6-4), in the first round of the Toronto hard court tournament on Monday.
Beaten from the start by the Frenchwoman Harmony Tan for her return to Wimbledon last June, Serena Williams suffered against the Spaniard in Toronto, but regained her resources to win in a complicated match, in nearly two hours ( 1h57).
The champion with 23 Grand Slam titles won the first round, carried by an enamored audience. Slower, but relying on a fast service, she managed to take control. The Floridienne has always resisted in the decisive points, as in the endless 8th game of the second set.
The former world No.1, now down to 407th place, had to save several break points to finally convert his serve (9 draws).
She had not won since June 4, 2021
In the process, she broke to open the way to victory on her own face-off, to the great satisfaction of the Toronto public. She thus won her first victory since June 4, 2021 and her third victorious round at Roland-Garros 2021, signing her first success in 2022, she who, before Wimbledon, had not appeared on the circuit for a year.
In the next round, she will face the winner of the match Belinda Bencic – Tereza Matincova scheduled for late evening in Toronto.