Serena Wins First Round Match at Sony Ericsson Open

*Serena Williams, in her first tournament play in seven weeks, emerged victorious in her first round match at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami.

The 10th-seeded tennis star took just 1 hour and 20 minutes to handle Chinese wild card Zhang Shuai 6-2, 6-3 at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park.

The former world No. 1 Williams is a five-time Sony Ericsson champ (2002-04, 2007-08) and two-time runner-up. Last year’s U.S. Open runner-up will next meet Italian Roberta Vinci in the round of 32.

The winner of the $4.828 million tournament will collect $712,000.