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STANFORD. — Serena Williams looked healthy and played sharp in her first tennis tournament since defaulting during a doubles match with sister Venus at Wimbledon.
The top-ranked player stopped worrying and started having fun again, beating Karolina Pliskova 7-5, 6-2 in a second round match at the Bank of the West Classic on Wednesday night.
At Wimbledon, Williams tried to play through a viral infection that caused her to lose her equilibrium during the doubles match. On Wednesday night, encouraged by a large crowd, Williams fought through a tough first set before she found her legs and took control of the match with a big second set.

“I thought I played well,” Williams said. “I’m on the right path, I’m excited and I’m looking forward to my next match.”

In the quarter-finals, Williams will meet the winner of late last night’s match between fifth-seeded Ana Ivanovic and qualifier Carol Zhao, a Stanford sophomore playing in her first WTA event. — AP