19 January,2011 02:13 PM IST | | AFP
Venus Williams battled through injury in the Australian Open's second round Wednesday as Caroline Wozniacki and Justine Henin answered the challenge thrown down by Kim Clijsters in style.
The day after Clijsters thrashed Dinara Safina 6-0, 6-0, top seed Wozniacki demolished American Vania King 6-1, 6-0 and former champion Henin downed Briton Elena Baltacha 6-1, 6-3 to underline their championship credentials.
Also moving through was dual Grand Slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova, who eased past Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus 6-1, 6-4.
However, an injury-hit Williams looked on the brink of withdrawing before fighting back to beat unheralded Czech Sandra Zahlavova 6-7 (6/8), 6-0, 6-4 in an enthralling match on Rod Laver Arena.
The fourth seeded American appeared to injure a groin muscle on set point in the first when she hit an overhead backhand, screaming in pain and grasping herself as she played the shot.
But Williams swung freely after returning from a medical time-out and blasted 15 clean winners past Zahlavova as she quickly got back on terms, then kept her composure to close out the match.
"I don't know what happened," Williams said of her recovery. "I started going for my shots and she wasn't as composed as before -- you have to able to play under all circumstances."
Henin, who took the title in 2004 and was runner-up in 2006 and last year, dominated the first set against Baltacha but had to work harder in the second before winning in 61 minutes.
She broke her opponent four times throughout and was untroubled on her own serve until serving for the match, when Baltacha had two chances to break back. But the 11th-seeded Henin saved both and then fired down two aces to book an intriguing third round clash against Kuznetsova, the champion at Roland Garros in 2009 and at the 2004 US Open.
"I have been fighting (injury) a lot over the last few months so it is just a joy to be back on court," said Henin, the former world number one whose comeback from retirement was derailed by an elbow injury last year.
Meanwhile top-ranked Wozniacki reaped the rewards of a more aggressive approach as she finally hit form after a poor start to the year.
The 20-year-old Dane has had to put up with questions about the legitimacy of her top ranking, as one of just three women to have reached the top without winning a Grand Slam.
Doubts grew when she fell in straight sets in her only match at this month's Sydney International and scratched out an unimpressive win against Argentina's Gisela Dulko in the first round on Monday.
But Wozniacki was back on her game against the 88th-ranked King, hitting 23 winners in a confidence-boosting effort for a competition left wide open by the withdrawal of women's champion Serena Williams.
"It was a really great match today," she said. "I felt like I was hitting the ball really well.
Reigning French Open champion champion Francesca Schiavone was taken to three sets for the second match in a row as she outlasted Canadian Rebecca Marino 6-3, 5-7, 9-7.
Russian glamour girl Maria Sharapova was also tested as she beat Frenchwoman Virgine Razzano 7-6 (7/3), 6-3. But eighth seeded Belarusian Victoria Azarenka looked in great touch as she downed Czech Andrea Hlavackova 6-4, 6-4.
Three seeds were sent tumbling as Russian qualifier Vesna Manasieva upset Frances's Marion Bartoli (15), Germany's Julie Goerges downed Kaia Kanepi of Estonia (20) and Romania's Monica Niculescu beat Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova (32).
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