• Western & Southern Open

Williams rallies to see off Bouchard

ESPN staff
August 14, 2013
Serena Williams battled back from dropping the first set to see off Eugenie Bouchard © Getty Images
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Serena Williams survived an early scare to eventually overcome Eugenie Bouchard 4-6 6-2 6-2 in the second round of the Western & Southern Open.

Williams, the top seed, was out of sorts as she dropped the first set but recovered to claim her 57th win out of 60 matches, although she will be concerned by the 49 unforced errors she committed.

Cincinnati has not been a happy hunting ground for Williams - she has never won the tournament, or even reached the final.

It was a far cry from her performance in the final of the Rogers Cup in Toronto where she thrashed Sorana Cirstea to win her eighth title of the year.

"It was just really different conditions than Toronto," said Williams. "And I always forget that it's so different here. So it took me a while to get used to it. I have to get used to them because this is a tournament I don't have on my roster. And if I play like today, I'll continue not to have it."

It looked like the curse might strike again but Williams took control early in the second set, with a double-fault from Bouchard giving Williams a 3-1 lead, which she consolidated quickly by holding her serve and breaking again for 5-2 before taking the set.

Williams then raced into a 4-0 lead in the deciding set, and although Bouchard earned a break back she could not stop Williams advancing to the third round.

However it was a different story for Venus Williams, who bowed out of the tournament after being defeated 6-2 5-7 6-2 by Elena Vesnina.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
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