Serena Williams, trying to maintain her record of winning the Australian Open every alternate year since 2003, has won her first-round match at Melbourne Park.
Williams beat Chinese wild card Yuan Meng 6-3, 6-2 on Tuesday at
Rod Laver Arena. Due to the searing early afternoon temperatures -
as high as 104 degrees - officials invoked part of the extreme heat
policy which allowed players to wear ice vests in the changeovers
and to take a 10-minute break at the end of each set.
Williams, the reigning U.S. Open champion, won Australian Open
singles titles in 2003, 2005 and 2007.
