Published: 09:35, February 2, 2021 | Updated: 02:53, June 5, 2023
WTA: Serena Williams breezes in Melbourne
By Reuters

Serena Williams of the US hits a return against Australia's Daria Gavrilova during their Yarra Valley Classic women's singles tennis match in Melbourne on Feb 1, 2021. (DAVID GRAY / AFP)

Serena Williams breezed to a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Australian Daria Gavrilova on Monday in the second round of the Yarra Valley Classic in Melbourne, Australia.

Coco Gauff posted a 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (5) win over Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann in Melbourne

The fifth-seeded Williams needed just 1 hour, 34 minutes to dispatch Gavrilova.

Also advancing were third-seeded Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, 11th-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia and 13th-seeded Danielle Collins. Pliskova breezed to a 6-3, 6-2 win over Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy, Pavlyuchenkova cruised to a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Misaki Doi of Japan and Collins notched a 6-2, 6-1 win over Nina Stojanovic of Serbia.

Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova hits a return against Croatia's Donna Vekic during their Yarra Valley Classic women's singles tennis match in Melbourne on Feb 1, 2021. (WILLIAM WEST / AFP)

Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria upended ninth-seeded Donna Vekic of Croatia in three sets, courtesy of a 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 decision.

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No 14 seed Coco Gauff posted a 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (5) win over Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann in Melbourne.

A game Teichmann won the second-set tiebreaker and pushed the 16-year-old Gauff to the brink before the latter won the third set.

Simona Halep of Romania hits a return against Anastasia Potapova of Russia during their second round Gippsland Trophy women's singles tennis match in Melbourne on Feb 1, 2021. (DAVID GRAY / AFP)

Top-seeded Simona Halep of Romania recorded a 6-4, 6-4 win over Anastasia Potapova of Russia, third-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine cruised to a 6-1, 6-4 win over Andrea Petkovic of Germany. Thirteenth-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia and 16th-seeded Laura Seigemund of Germany also posted straight set wins, while ninth-seeded Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova needed three sets to dispatch Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia.