MELBOURNE, Australia — Serena Williams ignored pain and frustration to reach the third round of the Australian Open with a straight-sets win over Gisela Dulko today.
The second-seeded Williams’ 6-3, 7-5 victory was far from routine, unlike Rafael Nadal’s 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 win over Croatia’s Roko Karanusic.
Williams, hoping to extend a sequence of winning the Australian title every alternate year since 2003, had to fend off six set points in the ninth game of the second set to prevent the match going to a third. That game went to a dozen deuces before Williams broke to get back on serve.
She got treatment on her left ankle in the changeover and, grimacing with pain, held and then broke Dulko again — this game going to deuce a half-dozen times — to get her chance to serve it out.
After all that, the nine-time Grand Slam winner finished with ace on her first match point, advancing in 1 hour, 50 minutes.
“It was a very tough second set. She started playing unbelievable, hitting winners left and right,” Williams said. “She had a couple of opportunities but I always felt I wasn’t going to lose. I feel I could play a lot better.”
Williams converted only four of her 18 break chances against the 23-year-old Argentine. Dulko was successful on both of hers.
Nadal had an easier time in his second-round match against Karanusic, fending off the bearded Croat’s six break-point chances and converting on six of the seven opportunities he had.
The 22-year-old Spaniard will next play German veteran Tommy Haas, who beat Flavio Cipolla of Italy 6-1, 6-2, 6-1.
No. 6 Gilles Simon of France won the opening match on center court at Melbourne Park, beating Australian Chris Guccione 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-1, 6-2. No. 13 Fernando Gonzalez of Chile, the 2007 runner-up, also moved on with a 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Argentina’s Guillermo Canas.
On the women’s side, Olympic champion Elena Dementieva improved her 2009 winning streak to 12 matches with 6-4, 6-1 win over Iveta Benesova, while Amelie Mauresmo, who won here in 2006, rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Britain’s Elena Baltacha.
Australian Open glance
A look at the Australian Open at Melbourne Park today:
Key men’s matches today: No. 2 Roger Federer def. Evgeny Korolev 6-2, 6-3, 6-1; No. 3 Novak Djokovic def. Jeremy Chardy 7-5, 6-1, 6-3; No. 7 Andy Roddick vs. Xavier Malisse.
Key women’s matches today: No. 1 Jelena Jankovic def. Kirsten Flipkens 6-4, 7-5; No. 3 Dinara Safina def. Ekaterina Makarova 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-0; No. 5 Ana Ivanovic def. Alberta Brianti 6-3, 6-2.
Stat of the day: 47 — number of winners by Rafael Nadal against Christophe Rochus.
Quote of the day: “I’m 35 years old in few days. What am I, Armstrong? No, I’m not.” — Romania’s Andrei Pavel, comparing himself to cyclist Lance Armstrong. Pavel retired from his match, and quite possibly from professional tennis, against Andy Murray with back pain.
On TV today: 1 p.m., 9 p.m., 1:30 a.m., ESPN2. The Associated Press
