Serena Williams comeback continues

Williams, who clinched the Toronto Cup on Sunday, is looking for her third tournament win since coming back from an 11-month injury lay-off in June. The American will next face the woman she beat in Sunday’s final -- Australian Samantha Stosur -- in the second round. Tenth-seeded Stosur brushed aside Eleni Daniilidou of Greece 6-3, 6-1 in her opening match. Williams looked in good form in the first set as she pounded her serve against the 49th-ranked Hradecka, who came into this week on a six-match losing streak. However the American, who was 5-1 up in the second, struggled to finish off her opponent and showed some signs of tiredness before sealing victory in the tie-break. “I was definitely up, I didn’t close it out and she started playing differently and better and running a lot,” Williams said after recording her 12th consecutive win. I was just struggling at that point. “I haven’t played in almost a year, and even the year before I didn’t play that much. But I would rather have that than fresh legs from not winning.”