By Jaclyn Stacey
(January 16, 2013) MELBOURNE PARK, Australia - Venus Williams comfortably defeated France’s Alize Cornet in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 to advance to a third round meeting with Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open third round on Friday.
The young Frenchwoman broke Williams at the beginning of the match to lead 2-0 but she could not match the power and experience of her veteran opponent and was immediately broken back in her next service game. Williams broke again to claim the set 6-3 when Cornet double faulted while serving down 3-5.
Cornet claimed another short lived break in the fifth game of the second set before Williams won the next four games and the match 6-3 6-3.
It was by no means a flawless performance from Williams who made 26 unforced errors and only 16 winners in the one hour and 17 minute encounter.
“Yeah, today I don’t think I was hitting as many winners as the first round. But at the end I always felt like I was in control, so that’s always a good feeling.”
Her third round opponent will be Sharapova who has not yet dropped a game in the Open this year, and Williams says this should not play a factor in their match.
“I don’t think about things that way. I play the ball. There’s going to be days when you play great and win, and there’s going to be days when you play not as great and you win. Whatever day that is, you have to win. It’s not about for me I have to play perfect every match. I don’t have that mentality.”
“I don’t think I’m really going into it with a different mentality except really focusing on what I’m doing with the ball. That’s pretty much it.”
Jaclyn Stacey is a Melbourne based freelance journalist covering the Australian Open tournament as media for Tennis Panorama News. Follow her Australian Open updates on @TennisNewsTPN. Follow her personal twitter @JackattackAU.
