Serena opens clay season with a win in Rome

5:18 PM ET

ROME — Serena Williams got her clay-court season off to a strong start with a 6-4, 6-3 win over 51st-ranked Anna-Lena Friedsam in the second round of the Italian Open on Tuesday.

Having missed the Madrid Open last week due to a fever, top-ranked Williams showed no signs of illness, sending down crushing returns of serve for winners and dictating the long rallies.

“I love the clay, and it just really felt good out there tonight,” Williams said. “I was really happy with my level. I think I was really consistent. … I was really concerned how it would be just running and moving and recovering. But it was fun.”

A 21-time Grand Slam winner, Williams hasn’t won a title since a hard-court event in Cincinnati last August.

Williams was beaten by Angelique Kerber in this year’s Australian Open final and then fell to Victoria Azarenka in the title-match in Indian Wells, California. In her only other appearance this year, Williams lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the …

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