Serena Williams wins in 1st round at Rogers Cup

AP photo

TORONTO, Canada — Serena Williams beat Ukraine’s Alona Bondarenko 6-0, 6-3 in the first round of the Rogers Cup on Tuesday, while second-seeded Kim Clijsters withdrew from her second-round match in the second set while leading 6-3, 1-2 against China’s Zheng Jie.

Williams, a 13-time major winner, got through the first set in 16 minutes using her speed and power, as a bewildered Bondarenko scattered across the court helplessly.

Bondarenko put up more resistance in the second, but could do little to contain Williams’ imposing serve and forehand.

Clijsters shook her head after hitting a forehand and left the match with a reported stomach muscle problem.

It was her seventh appearance at the tournament, having won it in 2005 against Justine Henin.

Despite winning the Australian Open, Clijsters has been hampered this year by injuries. She injured her right ankle in April and then withdrew from tournaments in Rome and Madrid due to right shoulder and wrist injuries.

Canadians Stephanie Dubois and Aleksandra Wozniak also advanced with first-round victories on Tuesday.

Dubois earned a 7-6 (4), 6-1 win over German qualifier Kathrin Woerle to set up a second-round match against fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka, while Wozniak cruised past Israel’s Shahar Peer 6-1, 6-0.

No. 10-seeded Andrea Petkovic ousted another Canadian, overcoming a rain delay lasting more than three hours before beating 17-year-old wild-card entry Eugenie Bouchard 6-2, 6-2.

Former champion Ana Ivanovic of Serbia had a 6-1, 6-1 win over Chinese qualifier to advance to the second round here for the first time since 2007.

In other action Tuesday: Roberta Vinci beat Yanina Wickmayer 6-4, 6-2; China’s Shuai Peng eliminated Spain’s Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-1, 7-5; and Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues defeated Italy’s Sara Errani 7-5, 6-1.

Serbia’s Bojana Jovanovski won against Jelena Dokic after the Australian retired in the first set; Italy’s Flavia Pennetta was a 6-3, 6-1 winner over Russia’s Maria Kirilenko; and Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova won 6-3, 6-4 over Argentina’s Gisela Dulko.